Beckhoff features system-integrated solutions at Pack Expo 2017

Aug. 26, 2017 – Beckhoff Automation will show off its system architecture for packaging machine automation at Pack Expo 2017.

Combining control hardware consolidation with PC-based control technology, the company promises its booth will be the “centre of automation technology and IT convergence.” Booth visitors will be able to “BYOD,” using their own smartphones and tablets to connect with PC-based control demos – including a wall of IoT-enabled devices, plus articulated robot arms from Stäubli – using any mobile device with a web browser. One booth highlight will be TwinCAT HMI, a new HMI software platform for visualizations that can scale to suit the screen formats of industrial displays and any mobile device with a web browser. The latest motor and drive solutions with One Cable Technology (OCT) will also be shown in the form of demos and test stands for hands-on evaluation. Meanwhile, the new C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) opens up application areas for PC-based control technology, says Beckhoff, especially those with pronounced cost or space restraints. Suited for industrial applications, the IPC measures 82 x 82 x 40 mm, “demonstrating the extensive scalability of PC-based control technology,” notes Beckhoff.