Yearly Archives: 2018

Press conference at the SPS IPC Drives 2018

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Phoenix Contact – Key partner on the road to a smarter world

Ulrich LeideckerUlrich Leidecker, President of the Business Area Industry Management and Automation, spoke at a press conference held at the SPS IPC Drives specialist automation trade fair in Nuremburg (November 27-29, 2018) about the positive development of the business situation, with sales for 2018 forecast to be more than € 2.3 billion by the end of the year.

Globally, the growth rates are good across all markets, even though there were negative currency effects in a large part of these markets. The Chinese market has continued to recover and, as in 2017, we are again experiencing double-digit growth. In the US, growth is slightly better at over 15 percent, but still slightly below the growth results of Europe, where – not including Germany – we have achieved 16 percent. With an almost 30 percent share of global sales, Germany is still the most important market for Phoenix Contact. A very good result is expected again for this market – this year with a growth of 7 to 8 percent. In total, the global growth is around 12 percent. Converted into euros, the nominal growth will be well above 8 percent.

The in-part turbulent market development – growth exceeded 20 percent in certain significant areas – has led to considerable challenges in the supply chain and in cost increases. We met this increasing development of sales by investing in all company divisions. We have therefore increased capacities significantly again this year: In Nanjing, China, the headquarters of our Chinese subsidiary, significant extensions across a total of 23,000 m² are being created in the areas of production and logistics. The facility will be built completely in accordance with the Industrie 4.0 standard. For the first time, large parts of the machine park and in particular the new logistics area will be completely automated with the PLCnext Technology controller solution. The total volume of investment in China in 2018 amounts to approximately € 30 million. The rapidly increasing demand in India requires a significant expansion of local production, the capacity of which has been practically doubled with the 2018 extensions. The total investment here amounts to approximately € 10 million.

Another focal point of the investments is the continuous expansion of the machine and plant park, which supports the opportunities of digitalization in our own company and translates the idea of “Industrie 4.0” into practical applications. From collaborative robots through to driverless transport systems, the latest technologies that support the consistency of digital value added chains and that increase efficiency in production are being used. The total sum of investments in 2018 will therefore amount to more than € 200 million.

As in previous years, our outlay for research and development is approximately seven percent of global sales. The total number of employees will have increased by approximately 1,400 to almost 17,500 in 2018. Without including acquisitions, the number of personnel in Germany will have increased by more than 500 employees.

Leidecker made a special point of mentioning that the largest acquisition in the history of the company so far would be completed on 2018-12-31. We have acquired the two companies SKS Kontakttechnik and Pulsotronic from the SKS Gruppe, a group of companies with whom we have been working in close cooperation for many years. The two companies will bring further technological and manufacturing expertise to the Phoenix Contact Group – and, naturally, will expand our production capacity. This acquisition will also increase the Phoenix Contact Group workforce by 400 employees.

PLCnext Store – Platform for software solutions

PLCNext Store Launched at SPS IPC Drives 2018

In order to be able to keep pace with the speed of technical developments, which is increasing significantly throughout the world, new approaches need to be found to harness existing knowledge on a broader basis. Against this backdrop, Phoenix Contact presented the PLCnext Store at this year’s SPS IPC Drives. This is a platform that makes it possible for all developers and market participants to offer self-developed software solutions and to purchase existing software solutions. For example, anyone who has developed a solution for pumping stations, lighting systems or driverless transport systems will be able to recoup their own expenses much more quickly by providing and selling this solution in the PLCnext Store. Those looking for suitable solutions or providers will be able to find what they are looking for much more quickly here in the future. The “App Store”, which is used so naturally in everyday life, is thus entering the industrial world. The idea of openness is of particular importance for market acceptance. Therefore, all providers – as well as competitors – will be able to place their software products for the PLCnext Technology controller solution on the market via the PLCnext Store.

Phoenix Contact in the midst of the Water and Wastewater Utility Revolution

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Phoenix Contact is in the midst of the increased awareness of the need and demand for new process engineering technologies, greater sustainability, smoother operation and in particular safety and security within the water management industry. Due to an increase in cyber-attacks, the issue of IT security has become a prime concern for operators of critical infrastructure.

Water and Wastewater Treatment

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is facing major challenges in water sustainability due to a huge gap between supply and demand. In fact, many factors play a significant role in triggering these challenges such as demographic changes, climate change, the approach to micro-pollutants, and many other environmental and political issues that could lead to further water depletion and deterioration of the region’s stability.

As a reliable partner in this field, Phoenix Contact Middle East recognizes the most effective course of action to tackle these challenges. The company has been actively working with other industry leaders in the region to spread awareness and knowledge of the importance of adopting the right automation solutions for Water and Wastewater Treatment. During last October, Phoenix Contact Middle East held multiple seminars in the region in collaboration with other technology leaders in the field. The seminars held in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia shed light on the growing problem of water scarcity, and shared expert knowledge on water conservation and wastewater treatment by a high caliber of industry professionals.

Advanced system solutions for water supply and wastewater treatment are available at Phoenix Contact. The challenge now is to accelerate the adoption of these innovative solutions to enable a more sustainable management of the region’s water resources.

About Phoenix Contact

Phoenix Contact, a global market leader and innovator in the field of electrical engineering, is headquartered in Germany. Phoenix Contact has five production sites in Germany and eleven abroad, with more than 50 sales subsidiaries and 40 representations. Its mission is to provide the best possible solution for your electrical engineering tasks. Phoenix Contact Middle East in the United Arab Emirates is an independent subsidiary with local management, sales, training, support and logistics operations. Their reliable presence in the region brings Phoenix Contact’s products and expertise into closer proximity to their clients and partners in the Middle East and Northeast Africa.

For more information, please visit: www.phoenixcontact.ae

Phoenix Contact: Celebrating 10 Years

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Reflecting on 10 years of Phoenix Contact in the Middle East

Phoenix Contact 10th AnniversaryCelebrating 10 years of the establishment of our subsidiary in Dubai, being the first in our industry to establish a regional office, Phoenix Contact Middle East extends its sincere thanks to the leaders of the UAE and to all our business partners and valued customers in the region for their continued support, cooperation, and trust.

Phoenix Contact’s history has been shaped by a passion for innovation and technology. For generations, the firm has been committed to offering its customers the best quality in every respect. Phoenix Contact continues to invest in groundbreaking technology and in new products which will lead the industry in the upcoming times.

The firm’s approach is based on a solid foundation of trust and partnership. This motivates the company to take responsibility and gives it the needed freedom to come up with new ideas. In order to work together as closely as possible with their customers, they have established reliable local structures, supported by trusted channel partners to support their customers in their business wherever they are in the MENEA region.

Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Managing Director of Dubai Science Park, said: “Phoenix Contact was one of the very first businesses to establish in Dubai Science Park, and has since played an integral and pioneering role in developing our vibrant community of more than 350 companies and 3,600 industry professionals. It is with pride to have witnessed Phoenix Contact grow from strength to strength, as it is our mandate to support our partners. We wish Phoenix Contact our heartiest congratulations on journeying with us for the past 10 years.”

Surge protection training course

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Interested to learn more about the phenomenon of surges and how a surge protection device works?

Then this training is tailored to your needs

Surge protection training

We are pleased to announce that we are holding a one day training course on Surge protection on the 21st October, 2018 at the Phoenix Contact Training Center in Dubai, located at the Dubai International Academic City. You are invited to register for this training and invite your colleagues/ friends to register as well.

Developed and conducted by an expert in this field, Mr. Eugen Friesen – Strategic Market Support at the Business Unit TrabTech – Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co KG -, this comprehensive training course aims at enhancing your understanding of surges and the functioning of surge protection devices.

Upon successful completion, all participants will be issued with a Certificate from Phoenix Contact.

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Phoenix Contact Solar Park Management

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Solar Park management: automation and networking

Operarte photovoltaic systems efficientlyPhotovoltaic (PV) systems have become an important and established source of power, with a current installed capacity of approximately 230 gigawatts worldwide. In the Middle East alone, 11 gigawatts projects have been announced that are either in the bidding or the pre-qualification stage. The main driver for adopting solar and renewables in the region is the low prices of solar energy that led policy makers and industry leaders to take a number of steps towards increasing and accelerating the adoption of it.

Photovoltaic systems are being installed in industrial areas and public spaces more and more frequently because environmentally friendly power sources are perceived positively by the public. This trend is further fueled by the fact that PV applications are easy to use.

Continuously record and evaluate all data from the photovoltaic system First of all, to enhance the efficiency and yield of your photovoltaic system, you need to use a continuous operating data acquisition and intelligent data management. Irrespective of which transmission medium you use, Phoenix Contact has the right network components for you to set up a failsafe communication solution. The basis for this includes the high-performance Gigabit switches, modems, and media converters.

Moreover, the profitable operation of large photovoltaic systems requires continuous monitoring and control at segment level. The Array Control switchgear and controlgear assembly from Phoenix Contact performs this function and records all relevant data related to the current performance of the arrays, the ambient conditions, and the inverter status. This data is transmitted to a higher-level SCADA system in the central control room.

Phoenix Contact provides standard and customer-specific solutions for the automation and visualization of photovoltaic systems. Read more

Power supply for industrial networks

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Incorporate Quint DC UPS easily and flexibly into existing networks

DC UPS with IQ Technology for industrial networksContinuing to supply machinery and equipment with power, even in the event of a mains failure, is imperative. Similarly, the ability of the UPS to communicate plays an important role in meeting this requirement. For that reason, we came with the new Quint DC UPS is the first intelligent and network-capable uninterruptible power supply for connecting to the Industrial Ethernet.

First of all, power fluctuations and the failure of the supply voltage generally result in an interruption in operations. In the worst-case scenario, it can result in a total plant failure. Many industry sectors use uninterruptible power supplies, or UPSs for short to avoid this and prevent downtime. This type of solution include three functional units: the power supply, the UPS itself, and the energy storage device. The power supply supplies energy to the load as long as the primary-side mains voltage is present. If the mains fail, the UPS takes over. It switches to the energy storage device so that the connected loads charge with power without interruption. After all, the required power becomes available by the energy storage device. Continue reading

Visit us at ACHEMA [Modernizing and digitalizing process plants]

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Modernizing and digitalizing process plants

The process industry is in a state of change

A consistent data stream is the basis for predictive maintenanceIn many production operations, control systems from different manufacturers and different generations are in use due to long runtimes – many systems are already decades old. This results in a corresponding pressure to modernize process systems. The way to a modern, digital plant is based on a three-step plan. The goal is to bring the communications up to the state of the art so as to optimize maintenance processes, reduce unplanned failures, and make inspection rounds paperless.

Never change a running system – this phrase fits especially well to the process industry. Many chemical plants are often more than 20 years old and need to be modernized because built-in devices were discontinued or more efficient components became available. Process plant operators are retrofitting in order to gain more reliability and reduced downtime. With Phoenix Contact, valuable space in the switch cabinet is optimized and applications are made ready for future requirements.

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Discover 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

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HIGHLIGHTS 2018

Your partner on the journey to digitalization

Highlights 2018

We are experiencing sweeping changes due to digitalization. In the face of this, only those who grasp the opportunities and explore these new horizons will be successful.

At the heart of digitalization is the intelligent networking of business processes, systems,
components, of all things and people. This networking creates new, self‑controlling and self‑optimizing systems with enormous potential for efficiency and productivity increases.

Phoenix Contact is already exploiting this potential now in in‑house applications. Based on the experiences gained from this work, we are developing new products and solutions that will support you on your journey toward digitalization.

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Our Highlights 2018 brochure provides you with a few examples of these: from smart connectors, through to our control platform for the digital future, and easy access to the cloud.

Find out more on our website.

Phoenix Contact at the world’s largest industrial trade show

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Phoenix Contact at Hannover Messe 2018 – the world’s largest industrial trade show

With its future-oriented connection technology, Phoenix Contact is your key partner on the journey to the smart factory, a digital factory. While Phoenix Contact is by your side, you are ideally prepared for the digital transformation: become an Industrie 4.0 company.

Hannover Messe News from PHOENIX CONTACT

We cover the Hannover Messe news with multiple videos every day during the industrial fair on our YouTube channel. Find out what our CEO Frank Stührenberg says about combining innovative ideas and technical innovation with new business models in order to be a reliable partner for our customers.

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Discover the world of innovations and technologies from Phoenix Contact

Discover Highlights 2018

Phoenix Contact Highlights 2018

Due to digitalization, we are experiencing sweeping changes. In the face of this, only those who grasp the opportunities and explore these new horizons will be successful.

At the heart of digitalization is the intelligent networking of business processes, systems, components, of all things and people. As a result, this networking creates new autonomous self-optimizing systems with enormous potential for enhanced efficiency and productivity.

Furthermore, Phoenix Contact is already exploiting this potential in in-house applications. Based on the experiences gained from this work, we are developing new products and solutions that will support you on your journey toward digitalization.

Our Highlights 2018 brochure provides you with a few examples: from smart connectors, through to our control platform for the digital future, and easy access to the cloud.

For more information, please visit the website.

Push-in connection technology – one for all!

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Push-in connection technology: consistent from the field to the controller

Consistent from the field to the controller

 

Push-in connection technology – consistent from the field to the controller

Thanks to push-in connection technology from Phoenix Contact, you can wire your entire application easily and without tools. A complete product range is available for consistent wiring from the field to power wiring and the controller. Without tools, you can easily contact sensors and actuators, modular terminal blocks, INTERFACE, and automation components.

Push-in connection technology was developed for direct conductor connection, so this means that without any tools, you can insert solid conductors or conductors with ferrules into the conductor connection.

In addition, the special spring profile enables effortless insertion of conductors with ferrules of 0.25 mm² or more. The contact spring opens automatically when the conductor is pushed in and thereby provides the required pressure force against the current bar. The spring opens by an actuation lever either to release conductors or connect stranded conductors without ferrule from 0.14 mm² without direct contact with live parts. You can operate the actuation lever with all standard screwdrivers.

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