Beckhoff USA has appointed Steve Rastberger to take over as the regional director for the eastern U.S. following the retirement of Graham Harris. Rastberger will leverage his formidable expertise in automation technology and industry trends to drive sales development and market share gains throughout the region. He will grow the region’s team of sales and…
Beckhoff introduces Frequency Analysis without programming requirements
TwinCAT Analytics software from Beckhoff offers a complete workflow from acquisition of data through to its storage and analysis to dashboards for continuous machine monitoring. Traditional condition monitoring algorithms are now also available in TwinCAT Analytics using simple configuration with no programming requirements. This addition optimizes both the standard workflow and spontaneous measurements, such as…
Beckhoff expands power supply portfolio with supplementary PS9xxx modules
The new PS9xxx buffer and redundancy modules extend the universal 24/48 V DC power supply series from Beckhoff. These new modules provide more efficient options to avoid machine and plant downtime and, as a result, increase system availability. With the supplementary PS9xxx modules, the PS power supply series and the CU81xx UPS series, Beckhoff offers…
XTS HMI control software enhances eXtended transport system
The mechatronic eXtended Transport System (XTS) from Beckhoff now includes an application-specific HMI Control for visualization of dynamic product transport. The proven XTS technology already supported collision-free motion with movers working independently or in groups and delivering dynamic, high-precision positioning on customer-specific track geometries. The new HMI software extension generates matching visualizations from an existing…
XPlanar’s software-based rotation increases freedom of movement in flying motion
The adaptive XPlanar system from Beckhoff now has software-based 360-degree mover rotation functionality in addition to other new impressive capabilities. XPlanar enables the contactless, parallel and individual transport of products, with movers flying freely in two dimensions over the XPlanar tiles and executing lifting movements with a stroke of up to 5 mm. The purely…
EtherCAT terminal enables direct connection of inductive displacement sensors
The EL5072 EtherCAT Terminal from Beckhoff enables direct connection of up to two inductive displacement sensors, including transducers in LVDT and half-bridge designs or inductive angular position sensors in the RVDT version. This means that precise position and distance measurements, such as in process control or the control of joining processes, are possible in a…
Trends: PC-based controllers enable easy IoT connectivity, predictive maintenance
Rather than traditional standalone systems, modern motion systems are integrated into the overall machine environment, making for easier connectivity and IoT implementations. Here, Daymon Thompson, U.S. Software Product Manager and Sree Swarna Gutta, U.S. I/O Product Manager, Beckhoff Automation LLC, weigh in on how their technologies are enabling this transition. 1. What edge devices do you […]
How to upgrade your control and networking architecture
When clothing retailer Gap Inc. needed to redesign its Fishkill, New York, distribution center in 2017, it tasked EuroSort with the job. Gap Inc. also required to finish the complete overhaul with limited time before the holiday shopping season. That required automation technology with the speed and efficiency to handle complex supply chains. While many…
TwinCAT/BSD offers alternative operating system for Beckhoff Industrial PCs
TwinCAT/BSD provides an alternative operating system for all of the latest Beckhoff Industrial PC (IPC) platforms. TwinCAT/BSD combines the TwinCAT runtime with FreeBSD, an industrial-proven and reliable open-source operating system. FreeBSD is Unix-compatible and is continually being further developed, improved and optimized as an open-source project by a large group of developers. The FreeBSD system…
Beckhoff CX20x3 incorporates AMD processors into successful embedded PC series
The new CX20x3 Embedded PCs expand the Beckhoff Industrial PC portfolio with devices that include AMD Ryzen processors. This powerful hardware is ideal for 32-bit and 64-bit systems, namely TwinCAT 2 and TwinCAT 3 automation software. Users can select from Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2019 LTSC or the new TwinCAT/BSD operating system. Two embedded…
Beckhoff celebrates 25 years of bus terminal I/O technology
Just 25 years ago, Beckhoff had an idea that revolutionized the automation technology of the time: The Bus Terminal combined fieldbus technology with the proven terminal block principle for the first time. The final result was developed together with Wago Kontakttechnik. Beckhoff then presented the modular and open I/O system for space-saving, customizable and highly…
TwinCAT IoT supports MindSphere
The TwinCAT IoT product family transmits data to the cloud or between networked machines, creating the potential for increasing production efficiency. MindSphere, the Industrial IoT as a service solution from Siemens, is one of the latest solutions that can integrate with TwinCAT. TwinCAT 3 automation software can communicate with HTTP(S) servers as an HTTP(S) client,…
Beckhoff offers line of compact, universal 24/48 V DC power supplies
Beckhoff is launching the PS power supply series, initially comprising 18 new devices. The 1- and 3-phase DIN-rail-mountable power supply units are compact and supply output currents from 2.5 to 40 A. Suitable for industrial applications, the temperature-optimized device design of these power supplies ensures excellent convection cooling, long service life, maximum reliability, and up…
XTS offers hygienic design for compact, flexible motion control with optimal cleanability
XTS Hygienic, the stainless steel version of the eXtended Transport System from Beckhoff, is now available in the U.S. The IP69K-rated linear transport solution opens up a wide spectrum of new applications, primarily in food and pharmaceutical industries and for processing and filling liquids. With optimal cleanability, high chemical resistance and no hidden corners, edges…
Beckhoff EL51xx EtherCAT Terminals enhance incremental signal analysis
Beckhoff Automation has introduced new EL51xx EtherCAT Terminals with built-in incremental signal analysis functionality. Incremental encoders have become indispensable in many applications due to their compactness and low price points. Beckhoff meets this important need with the comprehensive EL51xx series for analysis of 5 V incremental encoders via RS422 and TTL signals. These four new high-performance […]
Beckhoff EL51xx EtherCAT Terminals enhance incremental signal analysis
Beckhoff Automation has introduced new EL51xx EtherCAT Terminals with built-in incremental signal analysis functionality. Incremental encoders have become indispensable in many applications due to their compactness and low price points. Beckhoff meets this important need with the comprehensive EL51xx series for analysis of 5 V incremental encoders via RS422 and TTL signals. These four new…
EtherCAT sets record with 3,000 vendor IDs
he EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) issued its 3,000th EtherCAT vendor ID in July 2020. Beckhoff introduced the EtherCAT real-time Ethernet system to the market in 2003 and disclosed its details within the ETG the same year. This recent milestone underscores how the ultra-fast communication system has taken the automation world by storm since its release,…
Beckhoff unaffected by COVID-19 outbreak in Gütersloh, Germany area
The Beckhoff Automation headquarters in Verl, Germany, and its regional production facilities remain completely operational despite a COVID-19 outbreak in the Gütersloh district. Local authorities instituted a regional lockdown until June 30 after 1,600 employees at Germany’s leading meat production plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrück tested positive for coronavirus. “We would like to report to our customers,…
Beckhoff USA hires Rastberger as Northeast Region district manager
Beckhoff Automation LLC has appointed Steve Rastberger as Northeast Region District Manager. Rastberger possesses significant knowledge of automation technology, industry trends and key markets throughout the region, which he will use to oversee sales development of new and longstanding customers. He will work directly with Graham Harris, East Region Manager, and a strong team of…
EP7402 EtherCAT Box for compact conveyor control
To enhance control and cabling efficiency for motor-driven roller (MDR) conveyor systems, Beckhoff Automation has released the new EP7402 EtherCAT Box. This compact controller is a two-channel motor output stage for BLDC motors used in MDRs, regardless of the conveyor or roller motor vendor. The EP7402 offers optimal conveyor control through zero-pressure accumulation (ZPA) logic…
EtherCAT and PC based control for giant telescope automation
EtherCAT and PC-based control have been specified for automation of the Giant Magellan Telescope, including more than 3,000 motion axes and site-wide fieldbus infrastructure. Once installed at Las Campanas Observatory in the Chilean Andes, the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) will introduce many opportunities for the astrophysics and cosmology research communities. The telescope design will have…
TwinCAT Analytics One-Click Dashboard provides tools for Engineering 4.0
To reduce the once time-consuming process of dashboard creation down to a simple mouse click, Beckhoff introduces the TwinCAT Analytics One-Click Dashboard. When tailoring new data-driven services to individual customer requirements, machine builders and system integrators need solutions that are as cost-effective as possible. TwinCAT Analytics supports this kind of Engineering 4.0 approach with the…
Beckhoff introduces Smart Engineering Directly in the Cloud
Beckhoff Automation introduced new TwinCAT Cloud Engineering software for IoT and Industrie 4.0 applications. With this feature-filled addition to the TwinCAT 3 platform, users can instantiate and use existing TwinCAT engineering and runtime products directly in the cloud. The solution is easy to access from the Beckhoff website with a web browser and requires no…
Beckhoff C6025 Industrial PC boosts computing power with compact, fanless design
Beckhoff Automation has announced another addition to the popular family of ultra-compact C60xx series Industrial PCs (IPCs) with the new C6025. This space-saving IPC is designed to deliver the high computing performance of the Intel Core i series in a fanless, small-form-factor device. The new Intel Core i U processors, with exceptionally low power requirements,…
New Beckhoff office in Laval, Quebec strengthens company’s Canadian presence
Beckhoff Automation has increased its direct sales and support presence in Canada by opening a new office in Greater Montreal, located in Laval, Quebec. As the second Beckhoff Automation Ltd. office in Canada, the 2,223-square-foot facility sits within the country’s second largest metropolitan area, boosting the ability for Beckhoff to supply and support manufacturers, machine…