30 n FOOD AND BEVERAGE March 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com deterministic control is what lets us deliver dependable cleaning without compromising throughput.” After milking, IDS’ Post-Spray Robot disinfects the cows’ teats. A 3D vison system guides the robot arm to each teat, providing precise coverage with the right amount of chemicals. Immediate disinfection after milking is key to preventing mastitis. Automation ensures consistent application for every cow in a herd. The two processes work together to provide complete teat care before and after milking, enhancing hygiene at the two most important stages in the milking process. Compact controls To deliver its teat-care systems, Peacock needed a control platform that could integrate with the robot and machine vision systems, and offer safety and I/O in one system to achieve the speed and accuracy needed in a rotary milking parlour. Beckhoff Automation’s C6015 embedded PC and EJ plug-in I/O modules offered the required balance of scalability, robustness and compactness. The architecture allows Peacock to place the I/O exactly where needed, cut wiring, and keep the control system service-friendly. “Running everything on a single EtherCat backbone dramatically reduces wiring, improves diagnostics, and streamlines system design, with direct, real-time input to the robot via the PLC and HMI – giving us a clean, scalable path to add new features and grow the product family,” explains Peacock Technology’s COO, Gareth Hughes. Beckhoff’s TwinSafe technology allows safety devices and logic to be integrated over EtherCat, while its TwinCat software provides a unified engineering environment for motion, I/O, safety and HMI development. Built-in safety is essential for a robotic system that will be operating near humans and animals. It also simplifies machine building, fault-finding and long-term support. Peacock has the capability to design and manufacture bespoke electronics in-house. Rather than treating the controller and I/O as off-the-shelf add-ons, it has developed a custom PCB that integrates Beckhoff’s C6015 PLC and EJ I/O modules into an applicationspecific, farm-ready control assembly. The EJ modules also allowed a bespoke microprocessor-driven network switch to be incorporated, enhancing security and providing built-in component integrity checks. The PCB further allows force-guided relays and I/O connections to be integrated directly, resulting in a robust, integrated control system tailored to the application. Via its consulting business, Peacock has also produced custom PCBs using Beckhoff’s EJ modules for other customers, allowing OEMs to take advantage of the same flexible architecture and compact, high-performance PLC technology, while including applicationspecific functions. “We’re not just integrating components; we’re engineering the whole control layer to suit real-world agricultural environments,” says MacLennan. “Having the electronics capability in-house means we can build a tighter, more reliable system around Beckhoff’s platform.” Remote support IDS’ systems are used in harsh agricultural settings where downtime can quickly become costly. The company therefore incorporates remote monitoring and diagnostics, offering field support engineers secure remote access via HMI tools and Beckhoff's embedded PC platform. This is especially useful for remote farms in the UK, and for installations located anywhere in the world, because it enables quick triage and software updates without needing an on-site visit. Using the PC’s IoT functions and the flexibility of TwinCat, Peacock offers centralised monitoring dashboards that allow proactive service response for their own service teams, or in smaller clusters for its distributors. “The key aspect for us is connectivity,” says Beckhoff UK application engineer, Adam The robotic cow-care systems incorporate custom-designed PCBs that integrate Beckhoff PLCs and I/O modules into farm-ready control assemblies Carless. “Farms are often in remote areas, so it’s vital that our products can seamlessly connect with robotics, sensors and higherlevel systems. With our PLC, EtherCat and TwinCat ecosystem, Peacock can integrate everything and keep it serviceable longterm.” With its new systems, IDS is providing consistent pre-milking preparation and precise post-milking disinfection. Bacterial loads are reduced before milking, while the cows’ teats are disinfected immediately afterwards, helping to lower risk of mastitis, and supporting healthier udders. The robots improve cow comfort through repeatable, gentle brushing and ensure a high level of operational consistency, regardless of staffing levels. By reducing repetitive manual labour, they allow staff to focus on higher-value tasks, while the integrated safety functions and remote support help to improve diagnostics and increase uptime. Beckhoff and Peacock’s partnership combines field-tested agricultural automation with reliable PLC-based control. IDS is expanding robotic teat-care from a single task to an end-to-end hygiene process. The need for dependable, integrated automation will only increase as dairy operations continue to expand, and labour issues persist. n
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