Panel Builder & System Integrator
Equipment and Solutions for Control and Automation
Published by Kerrwil Publications Limited
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Message From The Editor

Innovation is in the Air!

It is an exciting time to be in the automation and control industry. With new products and avenues being developed daily the limits of control and automation seem near endless. And with Hannover Messe 2018 in just two weeks there is a growing buzz to see all the new products and advancements that are to be unveiled. See our Looking Forward to Hannover Messes 2018 section for a sneak peak at what's to come. And, we will be at the show to bring you all the information on the latest and greatest advancements. Also, in this issue look at the technical article by Phoenix Contact on PLCNext and a case study by Rittal, Synchro Engineering and Proax. Enjoy and be sure to follow us on twitter for daily insights into the innovative products being unveiled at Hannover Messe.

Owen Hurst
Managing Editor
owenhurst@kerrwil.com
   


Panduit

Changing Scene


Upcoming Rittal Webinar: Enclosure Specification Best Practices for Lower Costs and Greater Utility
ALT
Register Here to Reserve your Spot
Date: May 17, 2018
Time: 2pm EST
Not all enclosures are created equal. Rittal understands that it can be overwhelming to sift through the information to make the right purchasing recommendations and decisions. Attend Rittal's upcoming webinar that will guide you through the key considerations when specifying a new industrial enclosure. Read More


Looking Forward to Hannover Messe 2018

  • World's Leading Trade Fair for Industry 4.0
    HANNOVER MESSE and Industry 4.0 (originally coined in Germany as Industrie 4.0): two names that are inextricably intertwined. True to form as the world's leading trade fair for industrial technology, HANNOVER MESSE got on board very early with the opportunities of Industry 4.0, and in the process became the global hotspot for the digital transformation of industry. This year, with "Integrated Industry - Connect & Collaborate" as its lead theme, HANNOVER MESSE, is taking its Industry 4.0 commitment to the next level with a strong lineup of keynote themes.

  • Modules for Smart Chemical Plants
    Digitization is paving the way to higher productivity in the process industry. At the special presentation "Process INDUSTRIE 4.0: The Age of Modular Production" in Hall 11 at HANNOVER MESSE 2018, visitors can learn how to increase productivity by greater use of intelligent automation and instrumentation, as well as by modularization.

  • The Art of Making Smart Drives
    The message here is that digital intelligence is being used to keep tried-and-trusted building blocks of industrial technology competitive. For instance, builders and users of automated machinery systems value the high versatility and simple structure of pneumatic drive systems.

  • Self-Check for Machine Builders Determines the Industry 4.0 Maturity
    In the run-up to the Hannover Fair 2018, the VDMA, Roland Berger a business consulting firm, and Deutsche Messe AG have conducted a study on the "platform economy in mechanical engineering ." The authors Michael Zollenkop and Martin Lüersinvestigate the opportunities, prerequisites, and obstacles of digital business models in the industrial B2B segment, including recommendations for action.

  • Omron Industrial Automation at Hannover Messe 2018
    At the upcoming Hannover Messe from 23 to 27 April we will support the event's theme of Connect & Collaborate by demonstrating our capability to innovate the future of manufacturing. You will be able to experience our technology supporting flexible robotic cells, data acquisition, data intelligence and AI realizing agile mass customization cells that shifts manufacturing from 'build to sell' to 'made for me''.

  • Festo: The Self-Learning Workplace for Human-Robot Collaboration at Hannover Messe
    The main topic of the Hannover Messe 2018, "Integrated Industries - Connect and Collaborate", is concerned with generating competitive advantage by networking humans and machines, artificial intelligence, and intelligent products for the Internet of Things.

  • EPLAN Platform: New Features for Improved Ergonomics and Faster Project Design
    At the 2018 Hannover Messe, solutions provider EPLAN will be offering the first glimpse into Version 2.8, which is due to launch in autumn. It comes with significant new ergonomic features, further accelerating engineering and advancing automation and standardisation through the expansion of macro technology. A key element is the new graphical user interface (GUI), which impresses with fly outs.

  • Rockwell Automation to Showcase Digital Transformation Advances at Hannover Messe 2018
    Industrial companies are taking Industrie 4.0 concepts from the drawing board to the production floor to bring new value to their operations. Rockwell Automation will demonstrate how it can help companies accelerate this digital transformation and use Industrial IoT technologies to be even more competitive at Hannover Messe 2018, April 23-27 in Hannover, Germany.

  • Rittal presents an enclosure innovation at the 2018 Hanover Trade Fair
    It can be seen on 23 April. After five years of development work, Rittal will be unveiling its new large enclosure system at the 2018 Hanover Trade Fair for the very first time. The company is showing the innovative enclosure on the highlight area of its over 2,300 m² exhibition space. Further highlights include the new base/plinth system, the support arm system CP, with new height-adjustable support section for machine operations, and smart solutions for cooling enclosures, machinery and IT, as well as the new Secure Edge Data Center.

  • Siemens heightens industrial cyber security by detecting anomalies
    Siemens will present a solution for detecting anomalies in industrial networks at the Hannover Messe 2018. "Industrial Anomaly Detection" enables security-related incidents, such as unauthorized intrusions and malware, to be identified and countermeasures to be taken. The software is pre-installed on an industrial PC (IPC), and easily integrated into industrial environments. Alternatively, it will be enabled to run on network components from Siemens, such as the multiservice platform Ruggedcom RX1500 with Ruggedcom APE.

  • Hammond Power Solutions among 5,000+ exhibitors at Hannover Messe
    Hammond Power Solutions (HPS) will be participating at Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany, April 23-27, 2018. Hannover Messe is the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology. Over 220 thousand attendees from all over the globe take advantage of the synergies that Hannover Messe has to offer including research and development, industrial automation, IT, Industry supply, production technologies and energy services.

6 FAQs about HARTING Connectors on UL 508A Panels
Harting Using connectors on UL 508A cabinets used to be a huge hassle for the panel-builder. As a result, they often chose the older hardwiring solution in the past. Now, HARTING, in partnership with UL, has made it possible to easily connectorize UL 508A panels with existing HARTING products. The following six FAQs explain this new standard and the benefits it offers. Read More


International Headlines

  • ABB Ability Symphony Plus Achieves ISASecure Embedded Device Security Assurance and IEC 62443 Certifications
    ABB's flagship SD Series HPC800 controller, part of the ABB Ability Symphony Plus portfolio, received Embedded Device Security Assurance (EDSA) and IEC 62443 certifications, which recognizes that the controller has met the requirements for the software development lifecycle assessment, functional security assessment and communications robustness testing.

  • ABB to Invest €100 Million in Global Innovation and Training Campus
    One year after announcing its acquisition of B&R, ABB is to invest €100 million in Austria to build a state-of-the-art innovation and training campus at the home of B&R in Eggelsberg, Upper Austria. It is the largest organic investment in industrial automation in ABB's more than 130-year history and lays the foundation for around 1,000 new high-tech jobs in Austria.

  • Rio Tinto Partnering with TAFE on First Mining Automation Qualifications
    A collaboration between Rio Tinto, South Metropolitan TAFE and the Western Australian government is set to make history with new, high-tech courses in automation now one step closer. These nationally-recognised qualifications, the first to provide pathways to emerging jobs in the area of automation, are expected to be available at Western Australian TAFE Colleges and to high schools from 2019.


MAPP

Market Featue

PLCnext Technology Open Control Platform

By Franke Walde, Phoenix Contact
In recent years, automation technology has undergone rapid change. Examples of this include the Internet of Things (IoT), Industrie 4.0 or the constantly growing threat posed by unauthorized access attempts and malware. But what does this mean for manufacturers and users? And what opportunities could arise from such technological developments? The new PLCnext Technology for the up-and-coming controllers from Phoenix Contact provides practical answers. Read More

Case Study

Taking Power under Control to create an Innovative Enclosure Solution

Strategically located in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, Synchro Engineering Limited has been serving Southwestern Ontario with Electrical Engineering, and Contracting Services since 1966. Initially incorporated as an electrical contracting firm specializing in industrial maintenance, repairs and installations, Synchro expanded its portfolio in 2006 to include electrical Engineering and Engineering services, and has extensive experience in various fields from power systems, energy management, green energy, automation, panel builds, and equipment service, to general electrical contracting. Read More

Completed Project

ABB Completes Controls and Drives Retrofit on Printing Press for Best-Selling Newspaper in Halifax

The Halifax Herald Ltd. in Nova Scotia is the largest independently owned newspaper publisher in Canada. The publisher has just the one press at its print site just outside Halifax. With no backup press, the commissioning of the new systems had to be undertaken without interrupting the normal daily production. The Herald's Wifag OF370 printing press at their print center just outside Halifax consists of two 4/1 printing towers, one 2/2 printing unit and one 4/4 tower, a double folder, and five reelstands. The project to upgrade the press was divided into three phases. Read More

Industry Input Poll

Survey results in the next issue along with a new questionPanel Builder & Systems Integrator is seeking your input on the state of the Canadian automation and contol market, each week we ask a new question about the industry and the companies working within it.|

What is the Estimated Annual Revenue of Your Company?

1) Less than $5 million
2) $5-10 million
3) $10-49 million
4) $50-99 million
5) $100 million+

Industry Input Poll Results

Results from Last Issue

Last edition we asked how many years your company had been in operation and as always received a large number of responses from our fantastic readers. The results of this poll are quite interesting. By far the largest response was for companies that have been in operation for 6 - 10 years, with 45% of the overall response. Only 17% of respondents' companies had been open for 1 -5 years. This likely points to the fact that automation and control underwent a boom that coincides with the high level of companies that have been in operation for 6 - 10 years. The lower number in recent years does not reflect a slowdown in the rapid rise in automaton and control, but rather that established businesses have been serving the demand of the industry, although as the surge continues we will certainly see the number of companies continue to rise. Read More

Product News

Phoenix Contact 2018 Spring Specials Launch

PHOENIX CONTACT'S 2018 Spring Specials will focus on TERMITRAB Complete - the narrowest surge protection for signals and data, PTU 35/4x6/6x2,5 - Push-in Distribution Block, Current Transducers up to 400A AC/DC, Professional Tools and Trusted Wireless 900MHZ - Radioline. Read More

Rittal's Flange Mount Disconnect: Saving Lives

When a company is concerned about incorporating arcflash cabinets into its facilities, we offer some advice that can save lives! Rittal's Flange Mount Disconnect interlock system is the only one that complies with the UL508A rule: which means simply that if a secondary door is open, the main door cannot be closed and the switch cannot be reset. Read More

New Micro PLC Can Reduce Complexity of Large Standalone Machines

Machine designers can use a new micro programmable logic controller (PLC) to help optimize the control architecture in large standalone machines or systems. The new Allen-Bradley Micro870 PLC can support smart micro applications that require up to 304 I/O points, 280 KB of memory and 20,000 program instructions. "Designers today use several PLC sizes for their automation projects" said Yeow Keng Teh, product manager, micro controllers, Rockwell Automation. "This approach requires inventory management of the different PLC sizes and maintenance of different programs. Read More

OMRON High Performance Machine Automation Controller with SQL Client for IIOT Applications

We have expanded our offering of Sysmac Machine Automation Controllers that directly connect to SQL databases to include the high performance NX701 SQL Client models. In addition to database connectivity, these models can support coordinated motion control for 256 axes. They can be used with a variety of SQL databases without special software or middleware. In addition to automation and motion control, they are used to perform data logging tasks and replace complex SCADA or gateway systems. Read More

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