The Beckhoff Technology Days are back, but with a difference: this year, in addition to Bologna and Milan, the roadshow also went to Padua. PC-based control technology was the real protagonist of these three events, held on October 20, 21 and 22 in Bologna, Padua and Milan respectively. They were three days devoted to updating and exchanges during which end users, OEMs, system integrators and, in general, all industrial concerns operating in the field of automation and process control - many of which are active in the plastics processing industry - met technicians from the German parent company and the Italian subsidiary for in-depth discussions of the innovations and trends that are characterising the world of automation and control. The aim was to discuss, learn about and compare the technical solutions that Beckhoff has developed in order to make machines, lines and technological systems more flexible, more efficient and more intelligent.

“Given how successful these events were on the previous two occasions, we decided to extend the initiative and include a third date, in Padua: the level of interest in Beckhoff is certainly an indication of the validity of the technological solutions we offer”, remarked Pierluigi Olivari, managing director of Beckhoff Automation Italia. “The purpose of these meetings is mainly to promote the culture of PC-based automation as an enabling technology for achieving automation and intelligent control solutions according to the key concepts of Industry 4.0. And this applies regardless of whether we are talking about a production plant, an infrastructure of buildings or a renewable energy farm”, he went on.

The hot topics covered included the new many-core IPC and embedded PC architectures based on last-generation scalable microprocessors, such as Atom or Intel Core i3-i5-i7, TwinCAT 3, the Windows-based development software through which a PC can be configured to turn it into a logical and numerical control architecture (PLC+NC) capable of performing deterministic functions and multitasking, and EtherCAT, in other words, some of the most successful and robust Ethernet-based standard industrial communication protocols.

The latest developments in terms of motion were not overlooked either. In particular, the spotlight was turned on XTS (eXtended Transport System), an innovative linear movement system to which new modules featuring a 22.5° radius of curvature were recently added, and   AX8000, the new multi-axis modular drive using the OCT connection (One Cable Technology), with AM8000 servomotors, and combines the benefits of high performance and a compact size.

“The Beckhoff Technology Days are a concrete opportunity to evaluate new products and appreciate how they can be used in the development of new applications and/or integrated into existing control solutions”, Olivari added. “Thanks to the support provided by the technicians present, and also by the product managers from the parent company, the participants were able to evaluate what best suits their specific application needs, perhaps discovering how a PC-based solution is not only efficient but also the easiest to implement and manage”.

Aimed at all professionals working in the field of control systems and automation, the Beckhoff Technology Days are an important date on the calendar not only for those who work in traditional industrial contexts (packaging, machine tools, plastics, wood, textiles, glass,  etc.), but also for all those who work in the field of automation of infrastructures, production and energy distribution.

“The automation industry is one of the sectors boasting the highest levels of innovation and its constant evolution serves as the driving force for the development of all other sectors where automation is used”, ended Olivari. “The purpose of the Beckhoff Technology Days is to make our customers aware of the potential further margins for improvement today offered by PC-based automation systems, providing them with all the tools needed to evaluate and choose the best solution”.