ABB’s new control panel portfolio expands upon the current CP600 platform to provide premium HMI for high-end applications and challenging installations. The new CP600-Pro ensures reliable operation within a wide environmental temperature range of -4 through 140 °F, and features a true glass touch-screen for clear information display and easy operation. Strong aluminum front frames […]
ABB
New ABB drives bring enhanced control to DC installations
ABB’s new series of dc variable speed drives (VSDs) allow users with a large installed base to get better performance from their existing systems. With the new DCS880 VSDs, customers who are heavily invested in a dc system have the option to continue using dc technology while better aligning with modern ac advancements. The dc […]
New low-voltage drive for North American market from ABB
The ACS580 all-compatible general-purpose, low-voltage drive for the North American market is the newest entry in ABB’s low-voltage AC drive portfolio. The ACS580 drive provides user-friendly, energy-efficient motor and process control, keeping user systems running smoothly while saving time and money over the product lifecycle. It’s designed to control pumps, fans, conveyors, mixers and many […]
FAQ: What’s the learning curve for programming a PLC?
The answer is… it depends. For starters, it depends on one’s level of programming experience. Either past PLC programming or computer programming in general, as well as the types of programming environments (visual or textual, for instance) one is used to. Someone with a good bit of programming experience will probably find the process easier […]
ABB opens new Drives-Motors Testing Laboratory
ABB’s new customer drives test laboratory has been established to enable customers to evaluate the capability of their own motors when operating in combination with the new generation of ABB drives. The facility incorporates independent equipment for high-precision measurements of drive/motor dynamic performance, load capability and efficiency that enables customers to find the optimal drive […]
ABB announcements at Hannover Messe spotlight IoT, remote monitoring
Several announcements from ABB at this week’s Hannover Messe industrial trade fair in Hannover, Germany showcase the future of IoT, connectivity and remote monitoring. Two announcements in particular illustrate how these trends are shaping the development of Industry 4.0. The first is that ABB has extended its discrete automation offering to deliver more connectivity and […]
ABB IoT motors that let you know when it’s time for a service
Until now, the monitoring and preventive maintenance of low-voltage motors has been time-consuming and expensive. New technology from ABB transforms simple motors into IoT motors — intelligent machines that tell you when they need servicing. Smart sensors attached directly to the motor supply information regarding operating and condition parameters via wireless transmission. The innovative sensor […]
Motion control technologies you missed at MD&M West
Last week, many of us with motioncontroltips.com and Design World headed to MD&M West 2016 colocated with the ATX West show in Anaheim, Calif. The Internet of Things (IoT) still leads much industry buzz, as does the idea of increasingly smart and connected components and the unabated rise of automation — in the medical industry and elsewhere. My colleagues Paul Heney, Mary Gannon, and Danielle Collins covered many […]
Trends in networks: Connecting to the Internet of Things
Back in 1982, General Motors demanded that all automation control suppliers develop a communication standard that would let the automaker gather data easily from all its machines. This attempt was known as the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) and it was a huge failure. The controls vendors did not cooperate, resulting in a seven-layer monster that […]
New trends in electric motors: Efficiency, power density, torque
If there’s one trend that’s prevalent in motors of all kinds, it’s the theme of increasing performance, more specifically a trio of highers: higher efficiency, higher power density and higher torque density. These are incremental improvements in motor performance that are at least partly driven by the Department of Energy (DOE) energy efficiency requirements, said […]
