EPLAN's Pro 8 Package will enhance your efficiency

EPLAN Electric P8 will enhance your efficiency in designing, documenting and managing the automation projects for your machinery and plant.

The EPLAN Platform integrates all relevant disciplines in the development and design process. Interdisciplinary working becomes reality thanks to the many different functions and the direct connection to fluid power, electrical instrumentation, control engineering and control cabinet engineering.

EPLAN offers many advantages over traditional CAD packages. The main benefits include:

> The ability to automatically connect, mend or break lines

> Instantaneous device tagging and wire numbering

> Provision of point to point wire lists

> Automatic creation of reports and BOMs

For more information please click here.

To speak to a member of Routeco staff about EPLAN’s software portfolio you can email info@routeco.com or call us on 0370 607 1000.

Expand your performance capabilities with 5069 Compact I/O platform

The Compact I/O system from Rockwell Automation future-proofs your system and enables The Connected Enterprise, allowing machine builders to bring added value to their customers through a single, unified architecture, using EtherNet/IP™ for increased overall productivity. It is the ideal distributed I/O solution for use with the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix® 5580 controller and for users with high processing requirements.

The 5069 Compact I/O system offers diversity and flexibility with dual 1 Gigabit (Gb) embedded Ethernet ports for Linear and Device Level Ring topologies allowing easy customization for applications demanding high performance and speed.

Features and benefits:

• Built-in power input with field power to I/O modules
• Support for 31 local I/O modules
• High-speed backplane for faster transfer rates
• Improved status indicators for information about module health
• Supports 1-Gb embedded switch technology for Linear and Device Level Ring (DLR) topologies
• Integrated USB port allows easy configuration

Further product information can be found by clicking here to purchase this product on our website please click here.

New Industrial Hotspot from Prosoft features Location Tracking, VLAN, Radius Servers and more

The ProSoft Technology 802.11abgn Fast Industrial Hotspot (RLX2-IHNF) provides secure and reliable wireless solutions for plant-floor, SCADA automation, process control systems and mobile worker Wi-Fi infrastructure. 

It operates in the 2.4 or 5 GHz bands, including DFS channels. The Hotspot supports Access Point, Repeater, Bridging and Client modes. 

802.11n technology delivers fast data rates up to 300 Mbps. This provides excellent packet-per-second performance and robust communications in rugged industrial environments. 

ProSoft Technology's unique Fast Roam bridging feature seamlessly supports wireless communications to moving machines and platforms by providing access point switchover times less than 50 ms.

The RLX2-IHNF family adds RADIUS security for centralised management of security policies, VLAN support for network traffic segmentation and data prioritisation, QoS support for data, video, and voice prioritisation, and AeroScout location tracking support.

ProSoft Technology’s RadioLinx products are available to buy from Routeco here. To get in touch with your local branch or if you require further information, please email info@routeco.com or call us on 0370 607 100.

Wire harness engineering in 3D/2D with EPLAN’s Harness proD

EPLAN Harness proD is a technologically leading solution for the efficient design and documentation of cables and wire harnesses in 3D/2D environment.

Thanks to the openness of the system, the transfer of mechanical information from multiple MCAD systems and connection information from ECAD systems is quick and easy.

Using EPLAN Harness proD reduces the challenges when combining mechanics and electronics, minimising errors such as lack of space when laying cables, multiple iteration steps when designing and manufacturing, as well as incorrect length calculations.

For more information click here to download the pdf.

You can also contact us at info@routeco.com or visit our website at www.routeco.com

Rockwell Automation Technical Workshops – Extra dates added

Experience the benefits of building effective control systems using Integrated Architecture from Rockwell Automation.

Due to popular demand, Rockwell Automation have added additional dates to their 2015 technical workshops in Milton Keynes and Sandbach.

The extra dates are:

Sandbach:

• 10th June
• 22nd July

 Milton Keynes:

• 1st July
• 2nd September 
• 16th September

To register, click here

Traditional control systems can require separate control structures for each part of the application but using Rockwell Automation's Integrated Architecture, control systems are connected, scaleable and information enabled, simplifying maintenance, reducing design and implementation times and providing a seamless and secure connection to other business systems.

The Technical Workshop series provides engineers with the opportunity to develop an understanding of Rockwell Automation's Logix control platform through hands-on exercises using PACs, Variable Speed Drives, Remote I/O, Motion Controllers, HMI, Safety and Ethernet/IP products.

For more information please contact us at info@routeco.com or visit our website at www.routeco.com

Simplify the integration of machines into your existing network

Increasing use of EtherNet / IP in industrial automation means that there is an increasing need to properly manage machines on the network while ensuring change processes are easy to manage.

The new Allen-Bradley 1783 Network Address Translation (NAT) router helps deliver standard machines to end users without programming unique IP addresses. With reduced installation and configuration activity the Allen-Bradley 1783-NATR enables machines to be added, moved or replaced with little or no configuration. 

Being able to access real-time data is important. To produce and provide data, machines need to integrated into the broader network where information can be analysed and sent to the right place at the right time. The Network Address Translation provides flexibility to segment or isolate network traffic by determining which devices are exposed to the larger network. Furthermore, being able to isolate access to certain devices can help to optimise local network performance. 

Users are able to configure the device by using a module web page and/or EDS AOP using Studio 5000 Automation Engineering & Design Environment™.

Key Features: 

• Uses simple 1:1 Network Address Translation (NAT) to map IP addresses on the machine subnet to IP addresses on the control network
• Configurable via web page and/or Electronic Data Sheets (EDS) Add-on Profile (AOP)
• Simplified device backup and restore via SD card storing configuration
• Support both Linear and Device Level Ring (DLR) topologies on the machine network
• Designed for equipment in packaging, conveyor and process applications with machines that contain up to 32 Ethernet nodes

The Allen-Bradley 1783-Nat can be found here. 

For more information please contact us at info@routeco.com or visit our website at www.routeco.com

Protecting your electronics with Rittal enclosures

The main function of an enclosure is to protect electronic components and devices from aggressive media such as humidity, water, oil- contaminated ambient air, corrosive vapours and dust. 

In addition, heat is also troublesome for components in enclosures. If components are exposed to heat more than 10 Kelvins relative to the maximum permitted operating temperature, this can half the service life of components and the failure rate is doubled. 

Failure to provide protection will mean electronic components will inevitably fail and eventually lead to the shutdown of entire production systems. This can generate huge costs: from repairing the parts to the loss of earnings while production stops. 

With this in mind, Rittal have bundled their innovative enclosure, power distribution, climate control and IT infrastructure products together into a single system platform. Rittal’s Therm software and Therm App makes calculating the control requirements of individual enclosure assemblies easy.

As a system provider, Rittal is the world’s top system supplier of exceptionally effective, yet energy efficient and environmentally friendly climate control solutions, precisely tailored to your individual requirements. 

If you would like to find out more, Rittal have produced an enclosure cooling handbook which is available here. This includes chapters on the following: 
• Fundamental principles
• Active heat dissipation 
• Tips for project planning and operation 
• What is machine and process cooling?

For more information please contact us at info@routeco.com or visit our website at www.routeco.com