As usual, B&R will be presenting a variety of new products at this year's SPS IPC Drives trade show. The modular software blocks - called map technology - simplify the development of new programs and reduce the development time for new machines and systems by an average of 67%. At the same time, mapp reduces overall service and maintenance expenditures.
mapp eliminates recurring programming tasks for developers by providing preconfigured blocks that are easy to use and already extensively tested. Programmers can then concentrate on their main task: implementing machine or system processes in the application software.
mapp blocks are seamlessly integrated into B&R's automation software landscape. This means that any developer who works with Automation Studio can implement mapp blocks to make their work easier and their application software clearer. The end results speak for themselves: increased machine availability, lower maintenance costs and much easier team collaboration.
Controller and PC in one
The new Automation PC 2100 unites the PC world with hard real-time applications. If needed, Automation Runtime and Windows can run at the same time thanks to Intel Atom multi-core processing technology, allowing the PC to be used simultaneously as an industrial controller as well as a PC for things like sophisticated HMI applications.
Available with single-, dual- or quad-core processors, the computing power of the Automation PC 2100 is fully scalable. At the upper range of performance, it even exceeds the performance of many Core i-series processors.
Regardless of the variant, the absence of fans or other rotating components means that no maintenance whatsoever is required. Other standard features include two gigabit Ethernet interfaces as well as one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 interface. Fieldbus connections such as POWERLINK or CAN can be individually configured, and compact MLC-based CFast cards with 60 GB or more are available to meet every memory need.
Control panels
A further product launch are new openSAFETY control panels that allow safe data exchange over the bus system. The integrated openSAFETY interface renders the hard wiring of E-stop, operating mode and start buttons obsolete.
The new control panels only require a bus and power connection. This means that these systems can be placed where they are needed without having to deal with unwieldy cable harnesses. Commissioning and service are also simplified, saving additional money in these areas as well. The E-stop button is just as reliable as its hard-wired counterparts.
