August 14, 2018 – Beckhoff Automation will highlight the latest smart factory hardware, software, EtherCAT and TSN networking solutions, plus an integrated PC- and EtherCAT-based CNC platform at the inaugural Hannover Messe USA 2018 trade show in Chicago. The event, which is collocated with the IMTS trade show, will run from September 10 – 15, 2018, at McCormick Place in the convention center’s Lakeside Center (east building). Beckhoff will exhibit in the Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives (IAMD) USA section in booth 134417.
During the show, Beckhoff will also support the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG), the fieldbus organization, at partner booth 134117. Founded in 2003, the ETG has over 4,900 members from 65 countries, including end users from numerous industries and industrial technology suppliers, who have joined forces to support and advance EtherCAT technology.
A new generation of Beckhoff Industrial PCs (IPCs) will be the focus of hardware innovations at Hannover Messe USA. The C6015 and C6030 IPCs are designed for handling all kinds of machine control, IoT, cloud connectivity and edge device requirements. These IPCs are Microsoft Azure Certified and can work with other major cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and SAP HANA. The C6015 equipped with an Intel Atom processor (up to four cores) is 82 x 82 x 40 mm, while the C6030 features Intel Core i-series processors of the 6th and 7th Generation and measures 132 x 132 x 67 mm.
Updates will span three key areas of the TwinCAT software suite:\ HTML5-enabled TwinCAT HMI for industrial displays and mobile devices, data processing expansions in the TwinCAT Analytics offering and TwinCAT 3 Motion Designer, which adds a set of tools to commission entire motor, drive and mechanical systems in software. Motion Designer can be integrated into the standard TwinCAT 3 software platform or it can be used as a stand-alone motion system engineering tool. TwinCAT is the perfect software layer for Beckhoff PC-based controls, I/O components, drive technology and EtherCAT networks to create real-time control systems for CNC machines that are lean, scalable and open for all industries.
As a major industrial networking update from Beckhoff, the EK1000 EtherCAT TSN Coupler expands the industrial Ethernet capabilities of the EtherCAT I/O system to utilize TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) technology. The EK1000 enables communication among EtherCAT segments with remote EtherCAT controllers via heterogeneous Ethernet networks. Through support of TSN functions, the coupler works to minimize delays caused by switches in Ethernet networks and connect the range of EtherCAT I/O Terminals and other EtherCAT devices to TSN network environments.
