PLCnext Technology: open control platform for future-proof automation

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What is Industrial Automation: Part 1

Increasing competitiveness in the market over demands for high quality and consistent products remains a challenge for many organizations in the near future.

With protectionism and directives to ensure sustainable employment rates in countries such as the U.S, competitive pricing would also be the factor that is contributing to the industrial woes.

To address this challenge, a number of industries have considered alternative manufacturing techniques such as the usage of automated devices or IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things).

In Part 1 we shall explore what automation is all about, providing a reference for readers who are intending to switch over to the future.

Key Drivers for Automation:

1. Demands for High Quality
2. Consistent Products
3. Affordable Pricing on Goods

Lessons from History

Consider the historical shift of the Industrial Revolution. Industrial 1.0 was all about water and steam powering companies to succeed against their competition.

Industrial 1.0 was all about water and steam powering companies to succeed against their competition.

In Industrial 2.0, Henry Ford’s Mass Production principles allowed Ford to produce affordable automobile at the fraction of the time and cost through assembly lines.

For Industrial 3.0, it focusses on robotics, enterprise resource planning, and lean production. Each and every process is accounted for to reduce wastage and unnecessary man-hours.

The four phases in industrial revolution

In today’s digital age, automation and big data would be the key aspect in determining business continuity for the foreseeable future. We call this age the Industrial 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Key Pointers for the Growth of Industry 4.0:

1. Historically, as economic issues arise, there will be creative ways to manage the issue.
2. Industrialization has shifted to the next phase with every new technology introduced.
3. While it has always been about speed and consistency, with automation, cost will be the major determining factor.

Birth of Industrial Automation

Industrial automation facilitates the increase in product quality, reliability, and production rate while reducing production and design cost by adopting new, innovative and integrated technologies and services.

What is Industrial Automation?

We are all familiar with mechanization – using machinery to aid human operators when performing a certain task.

Examples would be tools such as the modern excavator, tractors or forklift, to ease the workload and complete a task much faster.

The problem with mechanization is that it is highly depended on the human decision-making process to operate.

For automation, everything would be done via logical programming commands and sophisticated machinery, eliminating human error and achieving consistency.

An example of an automated laser marking system controlled by the robotic arm but programmed by Humans via PC/PLC

In brief, industrial automation can be defined as “the use of technologies and automatic control devices that result in the automatic operation and control of industrial processes without significant human intervention, achieving superior performance than manual control”.

These automation devices include PLCs, PCs, PACs, etc. and technologies include various industrial communication systems.

With the usage of automation, Big Data and also interconnectivity (IIOT), power plants can see significant results. (Credits: Siemens)

The above is an example of automation carried out in a power plant. It provides total integrated automation (TIA) by automating every section of the power plant with efficient control devices, field sensors and actuating devices.

In this example, PLCs are used as control devices while using Phoenix Contact’s PC Worx software to provide the graphical programming.

Stay tuned next week for Part 2 as we explore the hierarchy and levels of an automation system.

Otherwise, subscribe to our newsletter where you’ll get the latest and exclusive updates on our newest products for automation & IIOT.

Feel free to contact us at marketing@phoenixcontact.com.sg to find out more!

Losing the ugly antenna for good

Ever since we started communicating via vast distances, we have always relied on antennas.

Antennas started to lose popularity as we became more advances and soon, latest technologies have seen antennas disappear altogether.

Antenna, as we all know, is essential for us to transmit and receive data. Most of the time, antennas are troublesome to handle (not to mention stiff).

Gone were the days where our mobile phone has to come with an “ugly” protruding antenna.

Goodbye old friend. You won’t be hurting us in the back pocket no more.

Smart Technology to meet Tomorrow’s Demands

Moving our attention with respect to Industrie 4.0 environment for factory automation, Phoenix Contact’s WLAN 1100 has adopted the innovative approach in integrating antennas and the wireless module in one device.

This has enabled tremendous ease and inexpensive access to a stable WLAN network on the machine.

Presenting the new WLAN 1100. This tiny creature can save you tons of dollars and space.

The increasing digitalization in the industry and other current trends in machine building and logistics, calls for a need for solutions in the field of intelligent communication between humans, objects, and systems.

Some of these trends require a wireless communication solution in order to achieve this. The key requirements are:

1. Simplicity in setting up (With new technology, who says it has to be complicated?)
2. Robustness against the demanding environment (Most of the communication systems in the market cannot guaranty against the physically straining situations)
3. Reliability in the communication network

How do we address the above requirements?

1. Integration of antennas and wireless modules in a single device to make installation hassle free and eliminate the need to purchase expensive external antennas.
2. With the extremely robust housing (impact-resistant to IK08) WLAN 1100 is virtually indestructible (you heard that right).
3. With it small form factor design, it makes it easy to implement onto existing machine.

Less than half the cost. No more separate antennas and modules. We combine both technologies into 1 system.

Easy Installation. Fits current & existing cabinets.

In conclusion, the WLAN 1100 wireless module makes it super-duper easy to install fast and stable WLAN network onto your current machines.

So, in short, we’re giving you all this, at the fraction of the cost!

Compare our WLAN solutions versus what you’ll be paying for huge, complicated and delicate systems that cost a bomb.

Don’t believe it? Then request for a free demo from our representatives today!

Contact us at marketing@phoenixcontact.com.sg to find out more!