3rd place: Beckhoff - MX system

© Beckhoff

3rd place - Beckhoff

According to Beckhoff Automation, it is possible to replace the traditional control cabinet in many applications with the MX system. The starting point of the modular automation system is the so-called system baseplate made of aluminum. This can vary in size and contain up to three rows with a maximum of 24 plug connections (slots) each. More...

With standardization, Beckhoff offers its users maximum flexibility: The modular MX system includes modules for communication, control and customer-specific functionalities. The company has not yet reached the end of the development process. Daniel Siegenbrink, Product Manager at Beckhoff, gives an overview of the possibilities of automation without control cabinets.

2nd place in the Taxes & Rules category

2nd place: Codesys - Codesys Virtual Control SL

© Codesys

2nd place - Codesys

Supply bottlenecks are currently making it necessary to redesign control systems and convert machines and systems to available control systems. The alternative: A SoftPLC that runs completely hardware-independently - from small, dedicated ARM-based devices to powerful IT server farms, scalable in number and performance as required. This is possible with Codesys Virtual Control SL. The previous Codesys SoftSPS is now even more hardware-independent and runs on containers such as Docker and hypervisor platforms. More...

Making the control system independent of the hardware was the declared aim of Codesys. Roland Wagner, Head of Product Marketing, and Domenik Vögel, Product Manager at Codesys, know how this can be achieved and what opportunities it offers companies.

1st place in the Taxes & Rules category

1st place: Phoenix Contact - Left-connectable expansion modules in PLCnext Control

© Phoenix Contact

1st place - Phoenix Contact

A linking system supplements the PLCnext Control from Phoenix Contact with functions that are not included in its standard range of services. The AXC F 2152 controller can be expanded by one expansion module and the AXC F 3152 controller by two expansion modules. If the supported number of expansion modules is not sufficient, up to three expansion modules can be operated on each controller using the AXC F XT EXP expansion module. More...

Usually, the modules in the control cabinet are set up in the classic way from left to right. But sometimes there is simply no more space on the right. What do you do then? Quite simply: you extend to the left. André Brand, Product Marketing Manager Controls, and Holger Meyer, Director Control Systems at Phoenix Contact, explain the advantages.