Electricity and Control July 2022

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

input and output. And, if there’s a fault, we know exactly where it’s occurring and can switch the terminals on and off remotely or via the system visualisation on our HMI.” Comprehensive diagnostics and easy integration In the case of the EL9227 overcurrent protection terminals, Thieren relies on the version with advanced functions because of the numerous diagnostic options available. “With these EL9227s, we can perform condition monitoring for the entire 24 V dc circuit.” If the current consumption changes, the machine operator can specifically target their search for the cause. “This all demonstrates the further steps we are taking towards predictive maintenance,” Thieren says. The strength of the EtherCAT Terminals lies in the hardware’s combination with software and, of course, support. “With TwinCAT, Beckhoff has the right software to harness the full potential of the hardware. What’s more, Beckhoff facilitates system integration because it is virtually automatic.” For example, the messages from the current terminals can be easily integrated into the machine’s HMI. “Our operators can then see an anomaly or fault immediately and don’t have to go to the control cabinet to isolate the fault based on the LEDs,” Thieren adds. There are now so many electronics in the Govaerts machines that fast and selective protection is essential, which means ther mal fuses are no longer adequate. In comparison, the EL9227 electronic overcurrent protection terminals already output a warn ing signal at the first sign of an anomaly, and this diagnostic alone Rockwell Automation, a global company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, has been named a Visionary for its FactoryTalk ® ProductionCentre, and Plex Systems, a Rockwell Automation company, has been named as a Leader for its Smart Manufacturing Platform, in the Gartner ® Magic Quadrant™ evaluation of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). Rockwell Automation sees its positioning in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant as a reflection of the fast growing market reach and industry recognition for its overall MES portfolio. It offers customers across a wide range of industries the benefits of an evolving ‘greater than the sum of its parts’ solution. Brian Shepherd, Rockwell Automation Senior Vice President, Software & Control, said: “We welcome the recognition of Rockwell’s MES portfolio in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant report.” He noted that the inter pretation of MES functionality by Gartner now expands beyond the traditional definition to include all plant-level functionality between enterprise-level business opera tions, engineering systems, and plant automation. “We’re proud to see the Rockwell FactoryTalk solution recognised as a Visionary for its game-changing orchestration of MES functions,” Shepherd continued. “We believe the positioning of Plex as a Leader also Gartner ® Magic Quadrant™ ratings for MES

© Philippe Van Gelooven

The advanced functions of the EL9227 overcurrent protection terminals allow Govaerts Recycling to perform high-end condition monitoring on all 24 V dc circuits. helps to avoid a host of problems. “With this in mind, our dc cir cuits are perfectly fused and protected,” Thieren emphasises. In addition, they comply with the requirements of DIN EN 60204-IEC, which stipulates that, as of 2020, 24 V dc circuits also have to be tested. With the EL9227 EtherCAT Terminals, Govaerts Recycling meets the requirements of the standard and benefits from an intel ligent monitoring solution that can be reset electronically. □

For more information visit: www.beckhoff.com/en-za/

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

showcases the impact and value the Smart Manufacturing Platform delivers to customers. This recognition of Rockwell Automation’s comprehensive portfolio by Gartner further demonstrates the synergy between these offerings.”

Rockwell Automation’s complete operations manage ment portfolio includes Plex Systems and FactoryTalk ProductionCentre solutions with capabilities including MES, QMS, Supply Chain Planning, Production Monitor ing, and Asset Performance Management. FactoryTalk ProductionCentre offers the deep features and function ality required by highly regulated industries. Plex offers the only single-instance, multi-tenant soft ware as a service (SaaS) manufacturing platform operat ing at scale, serving over 700 customers and managing more than eight billion transactions per day. Together, the Rockwell Automation operations management portfolio provides optimum solutions for a wide range of customers to achieve their operational digital transformation journey.

Rockwell Automation and Plex Systems have been recognised in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant evaluation of manufacturing

execution systems.

For more information contact Rockwell Automation Africa.

Email: mjunius@ra.rockwell.com Visit: www.rockwellautomation.com

JULY 2022 Electricity + Control

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