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Automation BlogJanuary 25 Course To Explain ProfinetIn response to much demand for information and training on Profinet, PI's popular Ethernet-based industrial communications architecture, the Profibus Group is organising the first ever Certified Profinet Engineer Course to be held in the UK. Organised in conjunction with the Profinet Competence Centre based at Procentec in the Netherlands, the course will be presented at the PI Competence Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). Priced at GBP 1200 plus VAT for members and GBP 1300 plus VAT for nonmembers of the Profibus Group, this 3-day training course will take place from 12th to 14th May. It will provide a detailed technical knowledge of Profinet technology and the advantages it offers automation and production processes over other network systems. Participants who pass the end of course exam get the title Certified Profinet Engineer and are awarded an official certificate. Successful participants will have the confidence to evaluate Profinet as a solution for their automation requirements and be able to design a proper application. The registration form can be downloaded from the Profibus Group website.
June 22 Weidmuller P Series Push-in Terminal BlocksAs the pressure to trim production costs while ensuring product quality continues, controls manufacturers are looking for ways to accomplish these goals in order to maintain their competitiveness and improve efficiencies. Reductions in design time, labor and inventory costs are just a few of the ways companies can reduce their overall manufacturing costs.
Weidmuller introduces the new P Series terminal blocks with push-in connection technology, designed to provide manufacturers with secure and reliable terminations, and achieve true savings. Designed to reduce the number of terminal block variations required, three P Series terminal blocks cover a cross section of 2.5mm2 to 16mm2 – a function previously requiring five different blocks. The PDU 2.5/4, PDU 6/10 and PDU 16 have wiring ranges of 20 – 10 AWG, 14 – 8 AWG, and 14 – 4 AWG, respectively. This reduction in the number of part numbers from five to three can save companies time and expense in design, procurement and inventory costs.
The P Series push-in terminal blocks are not only safe and easy to use, but can reduce wiring time by as much as 60%, providing additional cost savings. Solid core wires, once stripped of insulation, are simply inserted into the terminal point until it hits the stop – no tools are required to make the connection. The push-in connection system is even suitable for flexible wires with crimped-on ferrules – with or without plastic collars – and ultrasonic bonded wires. The push-in direct connection system is based on the pressure spring principle; the spring for the wire connection is in a separate cage. This design reliably separates the mechanical and electrical functions, and provides greater wire retention. The pressure spring is protected by a stop that restricts spring excursion, while the cable entry design prevents incorrect insertion of the wire. The push-in direct connection technology ensures a reliable, vibration-resistant and gas-tight connection.
Weidmuller’s P Series terminal blocks are designed as a TOP system; wire insertion and spring operation to disconnect the wire are carried out from above and parallel to one another. This new series includes feed-through and ground terminal blocks with 2, 3 and 4 connections, as well as dual-level, disconnect and isolating neutral terminals – all designed for TS-35 DIN rail mounting. A power supply terminal for electrical distribution applications is also available.
The Feed-Through Terminal Blocks are UL rated: PDU 2.5/4 (600V/20A/26-10AWG), PDU 6/10 (600V/44A/14-8AWG), and PDU 16 (600V/75A/14- 4AWG). In addition, Dual-level terminals are rated for 300V/10-20A/28-10AWG. They contain two continuous jumper channels that accommodate Weidmuller’s fully insulated pluggable ZQV 2.5 jumpers for finger-safe connections. Each terminal block is made from Wemid, a thermoplastic material that withstands a continuous operating temperature up to 248˚F (120˚C), and has the highest possible flammability rating in its class, UL 94 V-0 (non-burning). June 04 Safety Switches Take Controllers OnboardOmron's F3S-TGR-N magnetic coded noncontact switches are specially designed to interlock hinged, sliding or removable guard doors on all types of industrial machinery. Compared with existing solutions, the F3S-TGR-N does not need a dedicated controller to monitor the proper functioning of the switches because this unit is already an integral part of the switch. This is a huge benefit to machine builders because it reduces the number of control units required in the instrumentation or control cabinet. The F3S-TGR-N noncontact switch range also benefits from the generation of no particles often created by switches as they make contact with a door frame. The noncontact switch also remains relatively unaffected by wear and tear which often causes normal contact switches to need re-adjustment after a short time. It is also easy to calibrate for a range of mechanical tolerances and features an LED for easy visual diagnosis. Conforming to EN954-1 (up to safety category 4) and EN60947-5-3 (PDF-M), the switches are available in plastic or stainless steel housings. The latter type of housing is a special requirement in the food packaging and pharmaceutical industries where cleaning using aggressive detergents is necessary to meet hygiene requirements. In these environments switches are frequently placed behind machine covers to protect against the effects of cleaning. The F3S-TGR-N is well suited for use in these applications because its use of noncontact technology makes it possible to house the unit inside a stainless steel cover without affecting the performance of the unit. A further benefit of the F3S-TGR-N is that it offers machine builders greater flexibility regarding the safety control system they install for their machines. For instance, if the safety system has to cover different machines, the same switches can be used together with safety relay units such as Omron's G9SB for small machines, and devicenet can be used for bigger installations. May 29 Conditioner Keeps Watch Over Rotating MachinesLaunched at Maintec 2007 by condition monitoring specialist Sensonics, the DN2611 is a high-performance signal conditioning unit designed to provide protection for many types of rotating machinery including centrifuges, fans, gearboxes, motors, pumps, compressors and conveyors etc. Rotating elements are subjected, by the very nature of their operational requirements, to heavy wear and tear during their working life and if not maintained and monitored correctly can present a considerable safety risk. Supplying SIL rated systems according to IEC61508, the DN2611 is suitable for both simplex and duplex monitoring arrangements. Analysis of both these configurations has been carried out by Sensonics using a DN2611 monitor and PZS4 accelerometer combination. For the simplex arrangement, the company used a single transducer, which was driven from the monitor; the duplex arrangement used two parallel channels with a logical OR decision on both alarm trip outputs. Small in size and DIN rail mountable, the DN2611 will fit comfortably into equipment panels with other instrumentation or locally, fitted to the monitoring machine in a junction box. May 16 Ethernet Switch Offers PoE TechnologyMOXA's EDS-P308 is an 8-port smart ethernet switch that features PoE on port 1 to 4, and supplies up to 15.4W of power per port. By combining the network signal and device power in a single, twisted pair, Ethernet cable connection, EDS-P308 provides economical deployment, increases mobility and simplifies wiring for network connection. Two additional products are also being released.
The SPL-24 is an IEEE802.3af-compliant PoE splitter that distributes power to non-PoE devices, and the DR-75/120-48 is a 48V DC power supply. The EDS-P308 and SPL-24 simplify wiring in the field, and provide a more versatile environment for installing devices. PoE technology lets the user eliminate the need for power outlets when deploying Ethernet-enabled devices.
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