Page 15 - Manufacturing Heroes 2022

training facilities, OEMs, system integrators and end users are control cabinet-free automation. Product ranges that can be
trained and educated in the latest technologies, such as IoT and used as separate components or integrated into a complete
Industrie 4.0. and mutually compatible control system are available for all
The personal computer has experienced an unprecedented sectors. Beckhoff’s New Automation Technology stands for
success story and has become a firmly established part of universal and industry-independent control and automation
everyday life, including industrial environments. Together with solutions that are used worldwide in a large variety of different
associated software, PCs in different shapes and forms are at applications, ranging from CNC-controlled machine tools to
the core of a wide range of diverse automation tasks such as intelligent building control.
control of machines, processes or logistics systems, networking
of system components, data acquisition, or image processing. PC-based control technology
For classic control tasks, PC-based control technology offers Since Beckhoff’s foundation in 1980, the development
excellent scalability and flexibility and is therefore increasingly of innovative products and solutions based on PC-based
used in place of hardware PLCs. control technology has been the foundation of the company’s
Beckhoff is one of the pioneers of PC-based automation: continued success. “We recognized many standards in
the first PC control system was delivered as early as in 1986. automation technology at an early stage and successfully
Beckhoff Industrial PCs are characterized by a wealth of introduced to the market as innovations that are taken for
technology know-how accumulated over recent years. In granted today. Beckhoff’s philosophy of PC-based control
combination with the TwinCAT automation software, they as well as the invention of the EtherCAT, the real-time
offer a high-performance control system for PLC, NC and CNC Ethernet solution, provides a powerful and future-oriented
functionalities. technology for a new generation of control concepts,” declares
Jitendrakumar Kataria.
New Automation Technology
Beckhoff implements open automation systems using Multi-touch control panels and panel PCs
proven PC-based control technology. The main areas that Beckhoff offers the broadest portfolio on today’s market, with
the product range covers are industrial PCs, I/O and fieldbus a wide variety of display sizes, numerous electronic module
components, drive technology, automation software as well as variants from passive control panels to high-performance
panel PCs, as well as various aluminum housing versions
milled from a solid block (including for hazardous areas) or as
stainless steel versions in a hygienic design. A special feature is
certainly the appealing, timeless and high-quality design, which,
despite the capacitive touch technology, works perfectly with an
extremely narrow edge. “As a matter of fact with all the above-
mentioned advantages, the Beckhoff Panel PCs are modern
and elegant operating units which can also be used without
control technology. For example, we have agreed for a global IPC
partnership with the BMW Group up to 2030, where Beckhoff
PC technology will be used globally by the BMW Group. The
CP29xx multi-touch Control Panels
and CP32xx Panel PCs will be
used – both with new plants and
plant retrofits – for linking machines,
controlling access, acquiring data,
visualizing and other PC-based tasks”
elucidates Roland van Mark, Senior
Product Manager – Industrial PC,
Beckhoff Automation.

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