Panasonic Industry Europe presented the technology portfolio for the automation sector at SPS – Smart Production Solutions 2019 in Nuremberg. From 26th to 28th of November, products and solutions for a variety of industries has been exhibited in hall 4A, booth 341: from high-precision sensors to control technology, HMIs (Human Machine Interfaces) and drives, Panasonic Industry is the partner for setting up solutions for fully networked production lines. Feasibility studies, customizable hardware and software solutions as well as the training programs of the Panasonic Academy underscore the comprehensive range of services and demonstrate the customer orientation that offers added value for partners throughout Europe.
Industry 4.0 in focus: thanks to newly developed automation products from Panasonic Industry, the networking of production processes and the resulting possibility of automated custom manufacturing up to batch size one is no longer a vision. We are continuously expanding our portfolio of networked products and offering solutions with communication gateways developed in-house to integrate existing production architecture into the Industry 4.0 age.
MINAS A6 Multi – 400V Servo Drive System
The new MINAS A6 Multi 400V servo drive system was specially developed for the European market. With a slim, 50mm wide book size format, each drive controller can control two axes, which reduces the space requirement in the control cabinet by up to 64% compared to standard drives. Thanks to the EtherCAT interface, network integration is guaranteed and, with 18 integrated safety functions, the MINAS A6 Multi complies with SIL3 safety guidelines. From mid-2020 onwards, motors from 200W to 5kW will be available for selection, with further performance levels to follow.
FP-I4C – the communicator
The newly developed FP-I4C is the gateway for industrial 4.0 applications. Via the available interfaces, the data of connected controllers is transmitted to higher-level systems and additionally enables remote access even for small systems.
The FP-I4C is the ideal complement to expand the communication capability of controllers thanks to its comprehensive functions such as web server, FTP client, integrated protocols like OPC-UA (Open Platform Communications – Unified Architecture) and MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) as well as its compact design.
HMx700 – High-end HMI series with Multi-Touch function
In the connected production environment it is of central importance to ensure a smooth interface between man and machine. In many cases, this communication interface is an operating panel on a machine. The HMx700 series combines the advantages of two worlds: the HMx700 panel is a high-end operating device for demanding applications in the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) range, which despite its wide range of functions does not compromise robustness. Thanks to the high-resolution display with multitouch function, Panasonic Industry offers its customers completely new possibilities for designing innovative user interactions. The HMx700 product line is therefore an ideal solution for industrial automation with very low energy consumption and a long product life cycle.
IIoT and Smart Materials
Material flow management is one of the central components of a modern production environment. Paper-based material flow management is reaching its limits due to the increased requirements in the areas of transparency within the factory and traceability. Panasonic Industry takes advantage of the IIoT environment and offers a digital solution with the combination of e-label “View” tags and special software, which also supports the production of individualized goods up to batch size one. The combination of these smart materials with products and services from Panasonic Systems & Solutions makes intelligent manufacturing possible and offers great opportunities for increased efficiency and cost savings.