Beckhoff Automation's upcoming MX-System showcased at Modex 2024 presents an advancement for controls engineers tasked with building machinery for factories or plants, Automation World reported recently.
This innovative hardware system is poised to revolutionize traditional control cabinets, boasting a streamlined installation process that slashes typical setup times from over 24 hours to just one hour.
The MX-System's core concept revolves around standardizing both electrical and mechanical interfaces, facilitated through two interfaces: a data interface integrating functional modules into an EtherCAT network, and a standard interface for low-voltage distribution, accommodating mains voltage up to 480V AC and DC voltage up to 600V for the drive system. This standardization extends to the backplane system, featuring two distinct backplane types with corresponding interfaces, housed in durable aluminum housings.
This standardized approach not only accelerates installation but also significantly reduces machine control documentation, condensing complex wiring diagrams from 24 pages to a concise 10 pages.
Moreover, the MX-System's modular design incorporates function modules for industrial PCs, bus couplers, I/O, motion, relays, and system power supply, all seamlessly integrated into an IP67-protected automation system mountable directly on machines.
Automation World shares these insights and more in this article.
