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FEATURE MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY


sponsored by


SOLUTION TO ‘REVOLUTIONISE THE WORLD OF AUTOMATION’


CONTROL CABINET-FREE


At a recent press conference, Beckhoff Automation introduced the new MX-System, a solution that provides a space-optimised and


intelligent system solution that eliminates the need for conventional control cabinets. Will this solution make OEMs re-think machine design?


and larger machines mean more space is needed, which could potentially mean larger factories are needed. The knock-on effect is not particularly environmental friendly. So why not make use of the space you already have available? At a press conference in July, Bradley McEwan,


I


business development manager at Beckhoff Automation, introduced the MX-System, a new solution that enables completely cabinet-free automation solutions.


WHAT IS THE MX-SYSTEM? With the MX-System, the company has essentially taken the typical components of a control cabinet and turned them into an ‘on-machine solution’. The result is flexible and described as a ‘space-optimised and intelligent system


magine a world where you could carry out automation without the use of control cabinets. Control cabinets add to machine real estate,


solution that completely eliminates conventional control cabinets’. In fact the company goes as far as to state that it could ‘revolutionise the world of automation’. The solution is a standardised modular


automation system that consists of an aluminium baseplate and function modules that can simply be plugged into it. The system is both waterproof and rustproof, and can be mounted on the machine without the need for an additional protective housing. This has been designed with standardised


interfaces and includes components such as IPCs, drives and I/O assemblies. Of benefit, moving from separate control systems to the MX-System has greatly reduced the number of parts – from approximately 146 to just 15. The result is fast and easy set-up – from around 28 hours for a control cabinet to just one hour with the MX-System, McEwan explained.


SICK ANNOUNCES MAJOR UPGRADE TO


COLOUR SENSOR PORTFOLIO SICK has launched the CSS and CSX high resolution and high-speed devices. The new flagship CSS colour sensor offers best-in-class colour resolution and the ability to distinguish even the slightest nuances in shade. Its capability to identify subtle differences in surface structures and textures opens up wide-ranging applications. The CSS detects colours precisely, regardless of the distance from the object, at lengths of up to 500mm. It can also accommodate changing sensing distances automatically on a production line. Live L*A*B* or RGB colour values are displayed directly on the


CSS’s on-sensor full-colour display, and an innovative teach-in method enables the sensor to assess the similarity between the detected colour and expected colour in real time. Up to 15 colours can be output directly via the sensor’s four switching outputs. The sensor can also output up to 24 colours to a machine controller. With a switching frequency of 13.8kHz, the SICK CSX High Speed sensor works at double the


pace of its predecessor device. As well as typical applications such as the detection of colour marks, labels and splices, the CSX now masters new high-speed production tasks such as rapid sorting of objects according to colour. The CSS and CSX colour sensors help to achieve higher process speeds and higher throughputs with


outstanding detection repeatability in wide-ranging applications – to distinguish metal parts by their temper colours, for example, or to differentiate manufactured components or glued areas by colour. The SICK CSS colour sensors can be quickly and precisely configured for the specific application,


while the IO-Link version offers additional advantages for quick and simple commissioning, as well as rapid diagnosis, process monitoring and fine adjustment of the process set-up.


SICK 18 DESIGN SOLUTIONS JULY/AUGUST 2023 www.sick.co.uk


Feature


RE-THINKING MACHINE DESIGN This modular system is said by the company to perform all of the tasks, and exhibits the features of, a classic control cabinet: • Energy supply, fuse protection, and distribution • Generation and fuse protection of auxiliary voltages • Sequence control with the inputs and outputs • Motor and actuator control • Connection level for field devices. The MX-System is suitable for a diverse range of machines. The Beckhoff development team worked closely with the Adrian and Greiser design agency right from the outset, and the result is a design concept that gives the MX- System a visual and ergonomic edge that is said to reflect its unique range of functions. Furthermore, while the MX-System can be designed into new machinery, there is also the potential for its use as a retro-fit solution. Beckhoff Automation aims to help OEMs to


be competitive, and this new solution has the potential for them to re-think how machines are designed, McEwan explained.


BEST OF THE BEST So innovative is the new control system that it has recently been honoured with the Red Dot: Best of the Best Awardfor groundbreaking design, the highest award in the competition. Furthermore, another renowned jury, consisting of 132 design experts from 20 countries, awarded the MX-System the iF Design Award 2023.


Beckhoff Automation www.beckhoff.com/mx-system


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