Transforming manufacturing through Automation, unaided by cabinets on the factory floor
The world of industrial automation is evolving, with cabinet-free automation gaining traction as a promising trend. This innovative approach, which moves components out of a centralized cabinet into smaller, distributed modules directly on the machinery, offers several benefits.
For instance, cabinet-free automation reduces physical space and wiring complexity, allowing for more compact or custom machine designs. It also accelerates system assembly and commissioning, shortening time-to-market and enabling iterative innovation cycles.
Moreover, this approach significantly reduces component and engineering costs, leading to savings of 30 to 50%. It also simplifies maintenance requirements, making it easier to keep machinery running smoothly.
The flexibility and scalability of cabinet-free automation are also noteworthy. This approach enables tailoring automation precisely to machine needs and allows for easy upgrades or expansions via distributed I/O and control modules.
In addition, cabinet-free automation improves connectivity and integration with IT and IoT technologies, opening new possibilities for smart manufacturing features.
Machine builders can capitalize on this trend for innovation by adopting modular, pluggable systems like Beckhoff’s MX-System. Managed by Brandon Snell at Beckhoff USA, the MX-System integrates power supply, control technology, and field-level I/O into a compact, machine-mounted solution.
Brandon Snell, the product manager at Beckhoff USA, discusses the potential of the MX-System for cabinet-free automation. He believes that the MX-System can open new avenues for innovation in machine building and that the long-standing control cabinet is ripe for a reset.
The exact nature of the innovation possibilities with the MX-System is not detailed in this paragraph, but it is clear that the MX-System is a part of the broader trend towards cabinet-free automation and is designed to be integrated directly into machinery, eliminating the need for a centralized control cabinet.
The MX-System is currently being developed and marketed by Beckhoff USA, offering machine builders a promising solution for smarter, more compact, and scalable automation solutions aligned with modern manufacturing demands for speed, efficiency, and connectivity.
- In the world of industrial automation, the adoption of modular, pluggable systems like Beckhoff’s MX-System, which integrates power supply, control technology, and field-level I/O into a machine-mounted solution, is poised to revolutionize the finance sector by offering savings of 30 to 50% through reduced component and engineering costs.
- The innovative approach of cabinet-free automation, as embodied by the MX-System, is not just a trend in the manufacturing industry, but also a significant stride towards technologies that enhance smart manufacturing features, industrial connectivity, and IT and IoT integration, shaping the future of the technology landscape.
