PT Review

ABB will provide its latest ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system (DCS) for the mill’s Paper Machine 3 (PM3).  global.abb Control system upgrades made by ABB will enable Neopak to raise its annual production outputs to around 85,000 tons. Image Neopak Neopak, a leading manufacturer of containerboard and paper products, has renewed its partnership with global technology company ABB to upgrade the existing automation system at its Rosslyn Paper Mill in Pretoria, South Africa. The mill produces a variety of paper grades, including high-performance recycled liner and fluting, paper bags, core board, and plasterboard – essential materials for local industry applications such as building hardware, converters, and corrugators for packaging. ABB will provide its latest ABB Ability™ System® 800xA distributed control system (DCS) for the mill’s Paper Machine 3 (PM3). The existing system, which includes the ABB Quality Control System (QCS), a current ABB DCS, and var

Contrinex offers the smallest self-contained miniature inductive sensors on the market, with sizes from ∅3 to ∅4 mm and 5 × 5 mm, and sensing range up to 2.5 mm, IO-Link.  www.us.contrinex.com Precision, safety, and efficiency are crucial for successful automated production. Contrinex offers two exceptional sensor solutions—Inductive Miniature Sensors and Photoelectric Miniature Sensors—to tackle the challenges of handling delicate components and preventing costly collisions in robotic gripper systems. Solution 1: Inductive Miniature Sensors Safeguard Fragile Components In various industries, maintaining the integrity of delicate materials during production is a top priority. One example is solar cell manufacturing, where fragile silicon wafers are transported using two-finger robot edge-grippers. If the gripper jaws are not fully open before descending, the wafers risk damage, resulting in costly scrap and production delays. The Contrinex Solution: Inductive Minia

The versatile EL1957 TwinSAFE EtherCAT Terminal is one of the many innovations in Beckhoff’s TwinSAFE portfolio.  www.beckhoff.com With TwinSAFE, Beckhoff offers an extensive portfolio of software and hardware components for functional safety. This range is continuously being expanded and developed, as demonstrated by numerous new safety I/Os and the TwinCAT Safety PLC with EL6910 functionality. The EL1957 TwinSAFE EtherCAT Terminal is a digital input and output terminal for sensors with potential-free contacts for 24 V DC. It has eight fail-safe inputs and four fail-safe outputs (up to 2 A). The EL1957 also integrates a programmable TwinSAFE Logic and thus enables direct implementation of the safety application in the terminal. With this TwinSAFE Terminal, users can design their safety applications cost-effectively and with fine granularity, as a complete safety loop solution based on the local inputs and outputs can be created using a single safety component. Other new pr

OMRON launches the D40A-2, a non-contact safety door switch that instantly stops machinery when access doors open, ensuring worker safety and preventing accidents near active equipment.  industrial.omron.eu The D40A-2 uses Hall effect detection and coded magnetic actuators, and reduces wiring costs and installation complexity. Its versatile design fits both swinging and sliding doors, in applications ranging from single wafer cleaners and filling machines to robotics manufacturing. The D40A-2 offers compliance with the highest safety standards (PL e / Cat. 4) even when connected in series, supporting up to 30 switches in a single long-distance application up to 200 meters. This feature allows manufacturers to secure multiple access points with a single safety controller. Built with robust diagnostic capabilities, the D40A-2 includes an auxiliary output for relay operation, and supports multiple configurations (PNP or bipolar NPN/PNP). To meet the stringent hygiene and durabili

The energy sector is under a lot of pressure. German distribution grid operators need to get their infrastructure ready for the energy transition and fast. By 2030, some 80 percent of electricity is to be generated from renewable sources. A pilot project at naturenergie netze GmbH is demonstrating how transformer substations can be modernised more quickly. In collaboration with software suppliers Eplan and entegra, this southern German distribution grid operator is now working for the first time on a digital twin that will greatly speed up the planning and further development of transformer substations. New start at the transformer substation:“The digital twin forms the basis for our planning,” says Rainer Beck from naturenergie netze. In the past, there was distribution. For decades, energy was simply distributed in one direction – from continuously operating coal and nuclear power stations to transformer substations, and from there (once the voltage had been stepped down s

By automating critical inspection tasks in challenging environments, ANYmal robots reduce human risk, optimize resource use, and support the industry’s shift toward a sustainable, resilient future.  www.anybotics.com GMV’s uPathWay solution seamlessly integrated into the ANYmal robot, enhancing operations at the electrical substation. GMV, a multinational technology leader, and ANYbotics, a pioneering innovator in autonomous inspection robots, are revolutionizing industrial inspections in the power sector. Partnering with Elewit, Red Eléctrica Group’s innovation platform, this collaboration demonstrates how autonomous robots enhance efficiency, worker safety, and sustainability. Driving Innovation and Resilience in the Power Sector ANYmal robots are revolutionizing the energy industry by increasing safety, streamlining operations, and reducing the carbon footprint. These advanced, four-legged robots are designed for complex industrial environments. They move autonomously in

Beckhoff Smart System Diagnosis makes it possible to carry out predictive maintenance with minimal effort.  www.beckhoff.com As an option, the AM8000, AM8300, AM8500, AM8700, and AM8800 series servomotors are available with the innovative Beckhoff Smart System Diagnosis. With B/SSD, it is possible to monitor motors and systems in real time with minimal effort and to implement effective predictive maintenance. Precise measurement of vibrations, humidity, and temperatures directly in the motor provides the basis for statistical evaluation with TwinCAT Analytics and, hence, for effective predictive maintenance. This allows machine conditions and processes to be monitored and any necessary action to be taken in a timely manner to ensure efficient operation and maximum machine uptime. B/SSD uses the proven One Cable Technology (OCT), which eliminates the need for additional sensors and sensor cables Thanks to full integration in TwinCAT Analytics, both live data and historical data ca

This strategic partnership introduces an AI-based condition monitoring solution that promises to transform wind farm operations worldwide.  www.fersa.com In order to redefine wind turbine maintenance, NKE FERSA, the Austrian-based premium bearing manufacturer, and Nanoprecise, the Canadian predictive maintenance specialist, are launching their new and innovative Condition Monitoring System for wind turbines. An unprecedented technological breakthrough The NKE Condition Monitoring System, equipped with Nanoprecise's cutting-edge technology, combines a groundbreaking 6-in-1 wireless sensor with an advanced AI-driven cloud-based platform. This revolutionary system continuously monitors critical functioning parameters in wind turbines, such as vibration, temperature, humidity, acoustic emission, speed, and magnetic flux, providing broad and precise insights into the application’s performance. AI-based predictive maintenance At the heart of the system lies Nanoprecise's patented e

PALLOC combines a high-performance 3D snapshot camera with a factory-installed and pretrained neural network and a new Deep Learning-based localization algorithm.  www.sick.com At the SPS 2024, SICK presented the robot guidance system PALLOC (PALlet content LOCalization) – an AI-assisted, adaptive localization solution for automatic depalletizing with robots. It combines a high-performance 3D snapshot camera with a factory-installed and pretrained neural network and a new Deep Learning-based localization algorithm. The system can locate a nearly limitless number of stacked boxes on pallets and provides positioning coordinates for reliable and accurate robot guidance. The integrated neural network has already been trained for a broad range of box types, and new variants can be added at any time with a user-friendly AI tool suite. Automated palletizing solutions, manual, conventional or robot-assisted – when it comes to ensuring the seamless transport of goods from delivery to sh

Recent developments in thermal signature analytics have expanded the applications of thermal cameras beyond routine troubleshooting; they now contribute to paper machine control, energy usage benchmarking, wet streak detection, and the identification and prediction of certain classes of sheet breaks.Industrial Video Solutions Inc (IVS), a US-based specialist in automation for the papermaking industry, is leveraging FLIR infrared (IR) thermal cameras to obtain valuable data from paper machines as part of a patented system that boosts machine control and efficiency. Moisture and temperature directly affect both paper properties and machine runnability making the measurement of these parameters essential to the papermaking process. However, despite the presence of visual spectrum cameras in several machine locations, some aspects of the papermaking process remain invisible to operators. This problem is attributable to factors such as steamy operating environments, visual camera limitatio