Written by Pradeep Menon – Business Development Manager – Energy and Infrastructure at PHOENIX CONTACT Middle East

PLCnext Engineer

HMI devices can now be developed using a PLC programming software called PLCnext Engineer (a free of charge software) and stored on the PLC. It allows users to utilize popular programming environments to have real-time control with advanced computation. Customers have the possibility to use any HMI from other suppliers or a laptop, a tablet or all of these at once.

In the scenario when any of these HMI hardware devices break, you can simply swap it with a new one. You only need to browse the IP address of the PLC and your new HMI is up and running. This is because the HMI programming pages are stored on the PLC.

In 3 DAYS ONLY, Phoenix Contact will showcase new innovations at the Middle East Energy 2020.

Visit our booth H6.A10

Phoenix Contact Middle East will be participating at the upcoming Middle East Energy Exhibition (formerly known as Middle East Electricity), the global energy platform from 3rd to 5th March, 2020 everyday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Our stand will be located at booth number 6A10 in hall number 6 at Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai – United Arab Emirates.

Shaping the energy industry’s future together

As a global market leader with almost 100 years of experience in the energy industry, the Middle East Energy is a platform that allows us to meet with our partners and customers, and network with other manufacturers within this industry. The event also provides us with the opportunity to reveal products and solutions for power generation as well as power transmission and distribution for the Energy and Infrastructure industries within the region. We have been regularly participating at this event for several years as it remains to be the region’s leading trade event for the power industry.

Product Highlights

Our innovative products and solutions are characterized by high quality within the various industrial fields of electric-mobility, mechanical engineering, wind energy, solar energy, building automation, cyber security, automotive, …etc. This year, Phoenix Contact’s booth is dedicated to “Creative solutions for a smart world”. We will highlight the “Complete line” which is a system comprising technologically leading and coordinated hardware and software products, consulting services, and system solutions. Phoenix Contact now supplies a complete solution to optimize all the processes during control cabinet manufacturing.

Innovations at the booth

Other new innovations will be showcased at our booth by our product experts. Some of these innovations are products and solutions for industrial buildings, infrastructure, process, and tunnel technology, surge protection for power supplies and signals, PLCnext technology, marking and tools for efficient control cabinet wiring, relays for the best switching, industrial wireless, cloud-based remote communication, power supplies leading in technology and intelligent UPS for superior availability.

We encourage customers to engage with us physically at the booth, but also digitally through the various digital channels. Learn more

Written by Katharina Faes, B. Eng., Project Coordinator, Marking and Identification, Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, Blomberg, Germany

Get the right marking solution with the app

Which marking is best suited to my requirements? The topic of industrial marking has become more and more complex thanks to the digital transformation. Phoenix Contact has developed an app to provide you with guidance on this. The user arrives quickly and easily at an appropriate solution using a search assistant, and they can then create the necessary marking directly within the application.

The unique and permanent marking of all components and systems ensures safety and orientation, and enables efficient maintenance. Companies are certified for safe operation and efficient process organization. Comprehensive and clear documentation of all plant components and equipment is a prerequisite for the high quality standards required.

Written by Jennifer Noelle Achilles, Marketing Campaign Manager, Phoenix Contact

Nowadays control cabinet builders must face various challenges to stay competitive on a rapidly changing market – this applies especially in high-wage countries. A looming skills shortage, rising global competition and the need of extended functional variety of control cabinets due to digitalization cause the necessity to strike new paths. Never the less most processes in control cabinet building contain great potential for optimization. Indeed, very small adjustments in existing structures can cause significant enhancements. COMPLETE line is the comprehensive system approach for control cabinet building that wants to improve all processes holistically. This consideration starts with a look at the very details:

Written by Thomas Geiz, Master Electrician, Vertical Market Management Infrastructure, Phoenix Contact Deutschland GmbH, Blomberg, Germany

Comprehensive protection against unauthorized access

Digitalization has long since become a part of our private daily lives. More and more people are convinced by the advantages of smartphones, tablets, networked TVs, and PCs. No one wants having to go without weather apps, GPS systems in cars, or online banking. But wherever there is light, there is shadow. With digitalization, new forms of crime have developed. The various options of Ethernet-based networking can also be used to substantially influence the availability of the technology. Reports of malware attacks and their serious consequences appear in the media on an almost daily basis. It is therefore crucial that the digitalization of processes is accompanied by a solid strategy for the implementation of IT security. This applies to all companies and employees – regardless of whether they are already on the digital way, or still operating system visualization equipment running on old Windows XP machines.

Open solution increases flexibility and networking capability

Remote control technology is an essential component in the automation of water management systems. In the course of digitalization, Ethernet-based solutions offer numerous advantages here, but also present some challenges. Operational considerations such as the integration of existing technology and access security can be solved easily and economically with the PLCnext Technology automation platform.

An app for easy automation

With PLCnext Technology, Phoenix Contact has developed an open automation platform which tailors to the needs of plant operators as regards digitalization, IT security, modularity, usability, and efficiency. Among other things, the solutions stands out because the existing automation and remote control infrastructure can be used along with it. The input and output modules of the Inline automation kit installed years ago can thus remain in use, which significantly reduces the expenses for the migration of the existing automation and remote control system.

Whether it’s about a new remote control infrastructure or the migration of an existing system: The PLCnext Technology ecosystem lays the foundations for the digital transformation in remote control technology while also meeting the requirements regarding IT security in accordance with industrial standards.

Phoenix Contact achieved sales of EUR 2.38 billion in 2018 with sales growth of 8%. At the same time, the number of employees increased to 17,400 worldwide.

“From a global perspective, we had very good growth figures in the markets, but had to accept negative currency effects,” says CEO Frank Stührenberg.” In Germany, still our most important market for Phoenix Contact, we again achieved a very good result with 7%. There was double-digit growth in all regions of the world”.

The company invested €207 million in IT infrastructure, machinery and equipment as well as buildings. An amount in excess of 200 million euros will again flow into investments this year. In China, for example, Nanjing, the headquarters of our Chinese subsidiary, will expand its production and logistics facilities to a total of 23,000 m². The location will be completely built according to Industry 4.0 standard. The site in France will invest 15 million euros in logistics and office space by 2020. The logistics in Harrisburg, USA, will be expanded by 7,700 m². A new building for printed circuit board connection technology with 10,300 m² is currently being built in Blomberg. Development units, laboratories and product management offices in the immediate vicinity of the production building will find their home here.

In the current year 2019, a budget of 7% of sales for research and development will primarily serve product technology for digital transformation as well as solutions for the future markets of energy, mobility and infrastructure.

At the Hannover Messe, which began on April 1, Phoenix Contact, once again, was the third largest exhibitor presenting its solutions for the digital transformation. With a total of 2,500 m², the company was present at 11 trade fair stands.

Learn more about our highlights and focal points at Hannover Messe.

Click here to know more about who we are and what we do.