The decisive step towards the future
Everywhere you go these days there is talk of digitization, digital transformation, we must, we should, we can‘t do without it. Automobile manufacturers are becoming software developers. Entire currencies are being mapped in zeros and ones. What does this mean for the manufacturing industry? For the automation industry? Will we recognize our business in ten years?
Given the speed of the changes, we at Murrelektronik cannot predict what will happen in the future. But what we can say with certainty is that without decentralization, the road to digitization will be a long and bumpy one. Decentralization is the decisive first step toward digitization and with it, the transformation of the automation industry will succeed. We can even go so far as to say that it will make things much simpler and easier.
Digitization
Digitization describes the conversion of analog values into digital formats.
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation describes the process of linking the physical world with the digital world in order to meet changing market requirements with the help of new technologies.
Why are we so confident about this? Because we have been focusing on decentralization for years. As a system solution specialist we have developed the hardware required (fieldbus modules, switches, power supplies, IO-Link, cables and connectors) for the digital transformation ourselves and we also have a strong software background that allows us to create a digital twin. So, we are able to unite the real world and digital world in a comprehensive automation portfolio. We challenge the nature of automation each day, further develop it, drive it forward and accelerate the digital transformation for our customers.
We benefit from our DNA – our openness to technology. We support all interfaces and protocols, are open to future new standards and technologies, and are driving their development in the relevant bodies and consortia. Our IO-Link portfolio is proof of this as is our Vario-X automation system.
At Murrelektronik, products and solutions go hand in hand. Only through intelligent integration into an overall system does a product become a solution. That is why we develop our products to meet the challenges of our customers. For us, this is part of our promise to deliver the best solution. This has driven us to create a comprehensive portfolio to drive our customer’s transformation to decentralization. A strong solution – from a single source. Allow us to introduce some of the highlights:
IO-Link stands for plug-and-play installation in automation technology. Particularly against the backdrop of increasingly complex production processes and plants where more and more data is being collected and networked. The communication standard creates maximum transparency from the device level to the cloud. We have just expanded our IO-Link portfolio with the IP67 "MVK Pro" and "IMPACT67 Pro" fieldbus modules. These new masters are available for PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and EtherCAT. They have eight Class A/B master ports and are daisy-chainable thanks to two L-coded M12 connectors.
Cameras for industrial image processing are a must when it comes to Industry 4.0 or AI of Things. Vision systems are becoming increasingly important in industrial manufacturing and logistics. We have a concept for decentralized installation solutions in this field and are a strong partner when it comes to supplying power and managing signals and data generated by vision systems. We are able to offer decentralized assemblies such as switches, distributors and feeders that can be mounted and plugged directly in the machine environment, as well as the corresponding high-performance, pre-assembled cordsets.
All in one. Our multi-award-winning Vario-X decentralized automation system makes the control cabinet completely superfluous and is the decisive step towards digital transformation. This modular, and highly flexible, automation system completely decentralizes all automation functions for the first time – no control cabinets needed. Vario-X brings device technology directly into the machine environment and ensures reliable power, signal and data management during the integration of decentralized servo drives. The system is so innovative that it has won two prestigious awards right off the bat.
Machines and plants need reliable, easy to install and safe to operate power. Simple solutions for bringing power to machines and systems are in demand. Our standardized MQ15 connectors meet this requirement. Their tool-free quick connection makes them easy to install. Water- and dust-tight, they are ideal for connecting asynchronous and three-phase motors. The high current transmission (up to 16A continuous load) at a voltage of up to 600V AC opens them up to a wide range of applications.
The manufacturing industry and machine builders have four major challenges: Digital transformation, the desire for better designed and engineered products, the need for greater production and installation efficiency, and sustainability. Decentralized automation technology helps solve them!
Murrelektronik's digital twin know-how puts you right in the middle of things without having to be there. The digital 1:1 image contains all of the functions and configurations of the original machine or plant – the same control model runs on the virtual model just like it does on the real machine. The machine can be placed in the production hall via virtual reality.
The digital twin makes an important contribution in terms of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. The use of artificial intelligence, in combination with the digital twin, is becoming increasingly simple: If the data is read into corresponding software and analysis tools, anomalies in the process can be detected, and measures to rectify them can be initiated, at an early stage. Long-term data analysis also allows you to determine the energy efficiency of a configuration while running simulations of various process changes can provide information about possible savings potentials.
Thanks to smartphones and watches, apps, voice-controlled assistants and gesture control have become indispensable in everyday life. So, why shouldn't machines be controlled and commissioned via an app?!? They are effective tools for shortening commissioning times and making the work of installers and operators a whole lot easier. Configuration instead of programming is the goal. By working this way, companies retain their ability to act even if there is a shortage of skilled workers.
As an installation specialist, Murrelektronik knows how enormous savings potentials can be leveraged, and installation errors avoided, by considering the entire system during installation. That is why we always see the path to digital transformation as a tandem of both decentralization and an efficient installation concept.
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