TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS
WWW.MADEIN.IE « MARCH 2021 « 11
Developer’s kit for
machine builders
»
Mitsubishi Electric has released a comprehensive OEM
developer’s kit aimed at both fi rst-time automation
users and experienced engineers. The kit consists of
a PLC, HMI and programming software that can be
used to develop new machines for a wide range of
manufacturing and process industries. With expanded
technical support resources, this easy-to-use
starter pack can help to create innovative industrial
automation systems in a variety of applications.
The OEM Developer’s Kit includes the premium,
compact MELSEC iQ-F FX5U PLC, which combines
advanced functionalities and high adaptability
with an easy to program setup. The controller
is complemented by a GOT2000 HMI to monitor
and visualise automated
processes as well as key
equipment. In addition,
users are provided with
a copy of the MELSOFT
iQ Works2 integrated
engineering software suite
to support coding and
programming activities. The
kit can also be expanded
to use safety modules to
support more advanced
application requirements.
Machine builders will gain access to an extensive,
dedicated technical library and centralised data
repository to support the development of new
systems. Resources such as e-learning courses, startup
guides and videos, template projects as well as
examples of programming code for key applications
will also be included.
Barry Weller, OEM Solutions Manager at Mitsubishi
Electric, says: “We are always exploring new ways of
making it easier and more cost-effi cient for machine
builders to create automated systems and improve
manufacturing operations. The new kit is a great
solution to help reduce design and development time.
“This kit brings together our latest hardware and
software plus the technical resources needed to use
the products and provides users with what is required
to go from never having used an automation product
to delivering a successful project.”
Analog Devices Announces Condition-Based
Monitoring Development Platform
»
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) has introduced a complete
condition-based monitoring (CbM) development
platform designed to help accelerate condition
monitoring hardware, software, and algorithm
development. CN0549 provides mechanically secure,
wide bandwidth sensor data with robust, high fi delity
data acquisition. The development platform’s open
source software interfaces simplify connectivity from
embedded systems to popular data analysis tools,
such as MATLAB® and Python. CN0549 enables
real-time vibration data processing to accelerate
the development of machine learning algorithms for
predictive maintenance services. The fl exibility of
this platform allows engineers of all disciplines to
accelerate their condition monitoring developments
and signifi cantly reduce development costs
and risk with CN0549.
New long-life coating
for food machinery
»
Sheet metal and metallic parts in food processing are
regularly exposed to friction and wear. Motion plastics
experts igus has developed a new coating material
to increase the service life of these components, by
reducing friction and wear. The IC-05 tribo-polymer
protects sensitive and small bearing points as well as
sliding surfaces, it is coloured blue for high visibility
and is approved for use in manufacturing by the Food
& Drug Administration (FDA). In tests, the new coating
returned four times’ longer service life than the
standard iglidur coating material IC-01.
Automated systems are essential in the food
industry. But what happens if a bottle falls over
in the fi lling line or a packet of soup gets wedged
between moving parts and tears open? This can lead to
unplanned plant shutdown, costing time and money.
Moving components with a low coeffi cient of
friction are preferred to minimise plant damage and
downtime. To give guide plates, metallic sliding parts
or even parts with complex geometries high wear
resistance, igus has now developed a new coating
material especially for use in food machinery.
The high-performance IC-05 polymer complies
with both FDA and EU10/2011 regulations and is
therefore ideally suited for contact with food. Its blue
colour makes it highly visible in a food processing
environment. The superior material signifi cantly
reduces the coeffi cient of friction of the coated parts
and increases the service life and availability of
the equipment. It also improves product safety and
reduces the costs of parts replacement.
No lubrication is ever required. The powder material
can be applied onto the desired components, either
by the customer or by igus. Layer thicknesses of 60
to 120 μm are possible. “Especially for places where
there is no space for a plain bearing, a coating of the
moving parts that are exposed to wear is a good idea”,
explains Rob Dumayne, Director of drytech in the UK.
igus tested the durability of the coated parts in its
own 3,800 square metre laboratory. A part coated with
IC-05 (FDA-compliant) was compared with an identical
part coated with the standard material IC-01 in various
test set-ups. The IC-05 component recorded four times
longer service life. In addition to IC-05, igus off ers fi ve
other coating materials for applications in the hightemperature
range or with high chemical resistance.
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