47 www.drivesncontrols.com May 2026 NEW PRODUCTS n Phoenix Contact has released a fixture designed to produce terminal strips conveniently and reliably. The BS-DIN-rail fixture uses screw-in clamping blocks to hold a DIN-rail in place, leaving both hands free for assembly. It ensures stability during the precision production of terminal strips. A rotation and sliding function allows the fixture to be adjusted, and facilitates the mounting of terminal markers. Using a built-in measuring scale, absolute dimensions and relative distances between components can be measured accurately. Additional sliding blocks allow more clamping blocks to be fitted, enabling several small terminal strips to be produced in parallel. The fixture is compatible with Phoenix’s BS-WS assembly workstation, and is said to improve ergonomics, increase safety, and save time during assembly. Phoenix Contact 01952 681700 www.phoenixcontact.co.uk HMS Networks has launched a CAN-FDto-Ethernet gateway designed to provide simple, scalable, and cost-efficient connectivity in industrial and automotive environments. The Ixxat CAN@net Basic gateway focuses on efficient data exchange, low latency and affordability. In many CAN-toEthernet systems, transmitting Ethernet frames for every CAN message creates excessive interrupts, leading to high jitter and unstable performance. Conversely, aggregating data reduces jitter, but increases delay. The new gateway is said to reduce protocol overheads as well as interrupt loads, providing a balanced approach with low latency and controlled jitter. It also enables flexible network expansion via Ethernet to connect distributed systems without being constrained by CAN topology limits. The IP20-protected, DIN-rail-mounting gateway has one CAN CC/FD channel and can handle CAN data rates of up to 8Mbit/s. It has one Ethernet channel (RJ-45). HMS Networks www.hms-networks.com/ixxat Fixture makes it easier to produce terminal strips Festo has introduced a pneumatic soft gripper engineered to improve speed, hygiene and flexibility in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics applications. Combining robust design, food-safe materials and adaptive silicone fingers, the HPSX Universal Adaptive Gripper is aimed at applications where rapid, precise and gentle product handling is essential. The gripper’s shape, dimensions and internal geometry have been designed to maximise gripping forces while minimising air volume. This allows faster cycle times and multiple picks per second. The gripper’s silicone material is soft enough to prevent product damage, but firm enough to grip objects securely and withstand high acceleration. Available in three sizes (40, 70 and 100mm) and in two-, three- and four-finger versions, the HPSX offers nine variants. A universal ISO50 fitting allows easy attachment to robotic end-ofarm tools. It has an IP69k highpressure washdown rating. The new gripper’s design reduces air consumption while maintaining a high gripping force, enabling quick actuation and fast picking cycles. It has been tested to withstand acceleration forces of up to 15G while handling loads of up to 0.5kg. This combination of low air volume, strong grip and acceleration resistance delivers speed and consistency on fastmoving production lines. Festo www.festo.com/HPSX Digi International has launched an industrial 5G cellular router designed to deliver secure, scalable connections for critical networking infrastructures. In a single rugged platform, the Digi IX25 router consolidates networking, computing and secure connectivity. Four Gigabit Ethernet ports eliminate the need for external switches, reducing installation complexity, costs and potential failure points. The TAA-compliant platform supports LTE, 5G RedCap, and 5G eMBB on a unified hardware architecture. This allows users to standardise on a single platform while maintaining flexibility as cellular networks evolve. The router is also suitable for private LTE and 5G networks, with native support for spectrum from Anterix as well as CBRS and FirstNet bands. This allows infrastructure operators to deploy secure private wireless networks without relying on public carrier connections. A quad-core processor supports Linux containers for applications such as Scada and edge analytics. Digi International www.digi.com Router unites LTE, 5G and four Ethernet ports with edge Adaptive gripper promises faster, gentler and more hygienic picking Cost-efficient CAN-to-Ethernet gateway combines low latency with affordability Nord Drivesystems is offering a flexible, modular drive system based on its asynchronous IE3 and synchronous IE5+ motors, coupled with a choice of decentralised inverters: the wall- or motormounting Nordac On (in ratings from 0.37–3.7kW) or the wall-mounting Nordac Link (0.37–7kW). The inverters support Ethernet and are compatible with Profinet and Ethercat. www.nord.com/en/home-uk Trio Motion Technology’s MotionPLC EtherCat-based servo controllers with PLC-integrated control are now available in three configurations from McLennan. The controllers are suitable for low-to-medium axis count applications ranging from simple point-to-point positioning systems to complex, tightlysynchronised, multi-axis, standalone machines. www.mclennan.co.uk
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