Heat is a major factor in the performance and life of a motor, and one of the primary sources of motor heating is current running through the motor windings. Since heating is an unavoidable condition of motor operation, it’s important to protect the motor from overheating, or thermal overload. In a previous post, we described […]
Networking + IoT
Beckhoff EL51xx EtherCAT Terminals enhance incremental signal analysis
Beckhoff Automation has introduced new EL51xx EtherCAT Terminals with built-in incremental signal analysis functionality. Incremental encoders have become indispensable in many applications due to their compactness and low price points. Beckhoff meets this important need with the comprehensive EL51xx series for analysis of 5 V incremental encoders via RS422 and TTL signals. These four new high-performance […]
Smart controller provides performance, wear monitoring for clutches and brakes in IoT systems
Regent Controls, a Carlyle Johnson Company, has introduced the SmartSense(IoT), a sensorless controller for clutches and brakes in industrial Internet of Things systems. The SmartSense(IoT) provides real-time information and insights on a clutch or brake’s functional health and operation, with data that allows users to optimize maintenance, lifespan, power consumption and performance. “Our SmartSense product […]
How do vibration sensors measure acceleration to track machine health?
Condition monitoring of machines is intimately linked with the larger program of predictive maintenance. The goal of predictive maintenance is to reduce or eliminate entirely sudden and catastrophic machine failure by actively monitoring those components that are critical to machine function. By monitoring components such as motors, fans, pumps and other constituent components such as […]
Increased market share for Industrial Ethernet; wireless stays stable
Industrial network connectivity for devices and machines is key to achieve smart connected factories. HMS Networks annual study of the industrial network market shows that Industrial Ethernet increases its market share to 64% of new installed nodes (59% last year), while fieldbuses drop to 30% (35). The leading networks EtherNet/IP and PROFINET share first place at 17% each. […]
Micro PLCs now with EtherNet/IP
IDEC Corporation has added EtherNet/IP communications to its MicroSmart FC6A Plus PLC. This update provides more options for end users, designers, and OEMs to integrate the FC6A Plus with many types of I/O systems and intelligent automation devices. The FC6A Plus is already expandable to support up to 2,060 I/O, making it suitable for controlling […]
EtherCAT sets record with 3,000 vendor IDs
The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) issued its 3,000th EtherCAT vendor ID in July 2020. Beckhoff introduced the EtherCAT real-time Ethernet system to the market in 2003 and disclosed its details within the ETG the same year. This recent milestone underscores how the ultra-fast communication system has taken the automation world by storm since its release, […]
What is MQTT and when is it used in motion applications?
Message queuing telemetry transport — commonly referred to as MQTT — is a machine-to-machine (M2M) messaging protocol that is extremely well-suited for devices that have low or unreliable network bandwidth. Although it was originally developed in the late 1990s for the oil and gas industry to address equipment in remote locations, MQTT has been an […]
Programming variable frequency drives for variable-torque applications
Variable frequency drives have an incredible amount of functionality. Due to advancements in technology over the years, HMIs in the form of VFD keypads have become more user friendly with easier navigation, higher resolution displays, and more detailed setup wizards. By Jonathan Kopczyk | Technical support engineer • Yaskawa America Inc. Looking back at the […]
Yaskawa debuts intuitive software tool to aid advanced manufacturing
The Drives & Motion division of Yaskawa America, Inc. has released Yaskawa Compass, a new software user interface tool for advanced manufacturing. Yaskawa Compass is a CNC navigator, a graphical user software package applicable to multiple applications in 3D printing, shape cutting, machine tools and robotics. “Compass is designed with creativity in mind allowing machine […]
