n NEWS SIEMENS HAS UNVEILED a software-based workstation technology designed to replace traditional hardware PLCs, HMIs and edge devices. The company is hailing its Simatic Workstation as a “breakthrough in the longstanding challenge of closely managing numerous hardware control points throughout the factory”. The technology introduces IT workflows into OT (operational technology) environments, it adds. The car-maker Ford will be the first customer to use the new technology at several of its manufacturing sites. The Workstation can be viewed and managed from a central point, with programming, updates and patches all being deployed to an entire fleet in parallel, ensuring that shopfloors remain in synch. Siemens compares this to the traditional approach based on hardware PLCs scattered across plants, with each one requiring individual programming to keep it current, secure and aligned with the other PLCs. One example of the potential benefits of the new technology will be when a facility needs to ramp production up or down rapidly in response to fluctuating demand. Manufacturers will no longer be tied to shopfloor boxes and will be able to reprogram an installation speedily to match the new demand. The Workstation uses Siemens’ industrial edge technology to deliver high data throughputs with the low latency for running modular applications. This applies not only to traditional automation tasks such as motion control, sequencing and safety, but will also become a platform for future, novel automation tasks incorporating industrial AI-in-the-control-loop – such as visual inspection and robotic grasping. “In times of volatility in demand and supply, manufacturers can no longer be tied to boxes on the floor that need to be updated individually – and manually,” explains Del Costy, president and managing director of Siemens Digital Industries in the US. “Centralised management is the best option for increasing visibility and security for manufacturers managing a high number of automation control points. This makes automation highly scalable and changes the game for how factories can be managed. We are only limited by our imaginations.” The Simatic Workstation is the newest addition to the Siemens Xcelerator platform and will be adapted to serve other industries and customers. Software workstations replace PLCs and HMIs in ‘breakthrough’ Ford will be the first user to deploy the new Simatic Workstation technology THE UK COULD ESTABLISH itself as a leader in electric motor design and production, according to a new report from the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC). It argues that, with the European motors market expected to expand three-fold to more than £27bn over the next decade, there will be “ample opportunities” for UK firms willing to bet on shifting attitudes to e-motor design and production. The 36-page report, e-Motors Value Chain, suggests that focusing on certain types of motor – such as induction-based and electrically-excited synchronous motors (EESMs) – could pay dividends. Although it focuses on e-motors for EVs, it says there are also opportunities in other sectors such as rail, marine and aviation. “A resilient material supply chain for esteel and copper is critical for the e-motor industry,” says Dr Chris Jones, the APC’s strategic trends manager. “While neodymium-based magnets dominate the market, there is innovation in alternative materials to reduce dependence on the rare earth supply chain. Materials such as iron ferrite and iron nitride show promise. “There is also a growing trend to using magnet-free motors,” he adds. “This would allow UK manufacturers to cut the costs associated with motor construction, diversify revenue streams, and establish a robust supply chain. Importantly, it could also lower the carbon impact of producing this vital material, which currently takes an indirect journey across Europe before eventually reaching our shores.” www.apcuk.co.uk/knowledge-base/ resource/e-motors-value-chain UK ‘could be a leader’ in motor design and production
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