BECKHOFF UK has revealed a key focus for the firm at next month’s PPMA Show in Birmingham will be the MX-System, Beckhoff’s modular approach to cabinet-free automation.
The system brings functions including control, I/O and drive technology together on an IP65 baseplate, with power and data distributed through integrated busbars. Beckhoff stated that its ‘plug-and-play’ construction can simplify machine installation and make systems easier to reconfigure when production requirements change.
For machine builders, this offers an alternative to designing and wiring a conventional control cabinet for every machine.
Beckhoff added that its flexible transport technologies have been popular demonstrations at previous PPMA shows and will be showcased again this year. A hygienic version of the XTS linear transport system combines independently controlled movers with a stainless-steel, washdown-ready design, making it particularly suited to food, beverage and other applications where regular cleaning is essential. XPlanar will demonstrate an alternative approach using magnetic levitation, allowing products to move contact-free across planar tiles without fixed mechanical paths.
Visitors will also be able to see Beckhoff’s expanding drive portfolio, including the compact AX1000 servo drives and new AF1000 variable frequency drives. Designed for applications that do not require the capabilities of a high-end servo system, the range aims to give machine builders a more cost-effective option for applications such as conveyors, belts and fans.
“Machine builders are being asked to deliver greater flexibility without continually adding more hardware, wiring and complexity,” said Mark Richards, UK sales manager at Beckhoff UK. “That is really the thread running through what we are showing at PPMA this year.
“The MX-System is a good example because it changes the way you can approach the physical design of the machine itself. Alongside technologies such as XTS and XPlanar, it gives engineers more freedom to build machinery that can be adapted as production requirements evolve.”
The stand will also feature a two-axis pick-and-place demonstration developed with UK linear motion specialist, HepcoMotion, alongside Beckhoff’s latest motion control, industrial PC, Linux-based control and compact vision technologies.
