Things are going well for Beckhoff: last year, the company increased its turnover by 16% to 1.75 billion euros. The technology leader invests part of this, namely around 90 million euros per year, in research and development. The company will be presenting the results in Hall 9, including further developments of TwinCAT and the MX system automation system as well as a new generation of EtherCAT analog terminals.

Machine learning simplified

Artificial intelligence is on everyone's lips. However, it is difficult for many companies to implement it profitably in an industrial environment - there is a lack of appropriate AI experts. Beckhoff has therefore set itself the goal of enabling everyone to successfully implement AI. The company is therefore supplementing the workflow in TwinCAT 3 with the automated creation of AI models. With the no-code development platform 'TwinCAT Machine Learning Creator', users can take over the entire process from data acquisition to the trained model themselves. Open standards, interfaces and best practices are used and the trained models are provided in the open standard format ONNX. These latency-optimized AI models for control applications are adapted for execution on Beckhoff IPCs and with TwinCAT products, but can also be used as ONNX models outside the Beckhoff product world.

New generation of clamps

© Beckhoff

The new generation of EtherCAT analog terminals (Fig.) in HD (high-density) housing comprises seven terminals and covers a wide range of applications with up to eight channels and 16-bit resolutions. These include the 'EL4374', the first combined input/output analog terminal (10 V/20 mA or -20/0/+4 to +20 mA), with which a conversion rate of 2 kSps per channel can be used. The two inputs and two outputs can be individually parameterized for current or voltage operation via TwinCAT (via CoE). With a technical measuring range of ±107 % of the nominal range, the terminal also supports commissioning with sensor values in the limit range as well as evaluation in accordance with NAMUR NE43. The outputs can provide up to 107 % of the nominal value. Added to this is the high output power, which allows a load of up to 750 Ω at 20 mA.

Also suitable for DC

© Beckhoff

With the MX modular automation system, Beckhoff is replacing the traditional control cabinet. The function modules can simply be plugged onto the baseplate and then only need to be screwed into place. A special application is the use of a higher-level DC power supply. The DC supply for complete production halls is based on the strategy of providing electricity from renewable energies (e.g. photovoltaics) in combination with storage technologies for machines and systems as a mains voltage of 600 V(DC). The MX system is already designed to be DC-ready, as it can distribute DC voltages as well as be used directly for protective extra-low voltage grid lines or modules for controlling synchronous and asynchronous motors. The continuous use of the DC voltage offers the great advantage that the braking energy of the motors is buffered in the storage of the DC networks instead of being lost through braking resistors. This possible application of the MX system is already being implemented in an initial project.

Beckhoff at the Hannover Messe: Hall 9, Stand F0