Motor protection meets smart system design.

Essential motor safeguarding capabilities into scalable, data‑driven control panel designs.

The AB 140ME Motor Protective Switching Device delivers more reliable branch‑circuit protection by combining disconnect capability, magnetic short‑circuit protection, electronic overload protection and manual switching for motor control. Built to safeguard motors from overload, phase loss, and short‑circuit conditions, the 140ME provides dependable protection while maintaining the high electrical performance required for demanding applications.

For manufacturers, the 140ME offers advantages in both performance and ease of use. By consolidating multiple protective and control functions into a single device, it reduces panel complexity and simplifies installation. Operators benefit from clear status indication and predictable trip behavior, making it easier to identify issues, restore operation quickly and maintain consistent uptime. Its compact footprint also helps panel builders optimize space without compromising accessibility or safety.

This device is a key component of Rockwell Automation’s Branch Motor Control & Protection portfolio, working alongside 100‑E Contactors, 140MT Motor Protection Circuit Breakers and E100 Electronic Overload Relays. Together, these devices create a unified motor control architecture that simplifies design, strengthens motor protection and improves coordination across in-panel architectures. This alignment helps deliver consistent performance and a smoother engineering experience from design through commissioning.

With the latest release of the EtherNet/IP In‑cabinet Solution, the 140ME becomes even more powerful. New connectivity through a 100‑E Contactor communication module brings real‑time diagnostics, device health insights and operational data directly onto the EtherNet/IP network. This integration allows manufacturers to monitor motor conditions, identify issues quickly and support predictive maintenance strategies, all while reducing wiring and simplifying panel design. The result is a smarter, more connected motor control ecosystem that scales effortlessly as operational needs evolve.

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@ROKAutomation @ROKAutoEMEA @AllenBradley #PAuto

Industrial Ethernet switch.

Provides a compact solution for network reliability, stability, and security.

The Allen‑Bradley® Stratix® 2100 Unmanaged Industrial Ethernet Switch from Rockwell Automation, reduces the complexity of network deployments and delivery with its simple dip-switch settings and easy-to-install functionality.

This small form-factor device improves network reliability that best meets overall network system design and application requirements. End users will also benefit from reduced training needs, improved first time fix rates, and lower maintenance costs from the Stratix® 2100.

The Stratix® 2100 helps protect against unwanted network traffic, prioritizing data as needed, while providing increased reliability and network security through offering gigabit speeds, Quality of Service, Energy-Efficient Ethernet, industrial-grade enclosure, and an extended temperature rating as standard.

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@ROKAutomation @ROKAutoEMEA @AllenBradley #PAuto #Manufacturing 

Controllers into industrial edge applications.

Softing has announced the expansion of its Docker-based edgeConnector product family with the introduction of edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC, providing convenient access to data from ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers.

With the new Docker-based software module edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC, users can easily connect to their ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers. The data from the controllers is made available on edge devices or virtual environments via OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT). This enables flexible integration into on-premises or cloud environments without modifying the existing Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) configuration.

It is easy to configure locally via an integrated web interface. Alternatively, remote global mass configurations are possible via Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface (REST API).

There are now five edgeConnector products available for the most common control systems. Besides the new edgeConnector Allen-Bradley PLC, these are edgeConnector Siemens, edgeConnector 840D, edgeConnector Fanuc CNC, and edgeConnector Modbus. All edgeConnector products can be deployed very quickly thanks to containerized technology. They are operated on standard hardware and can be easily managed centrally. The integrated MQTT publisher/subscriber functionality allows Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions to be set up flexibly. The edgeConnectors support state-of-the-art security standards such as SSL/TLS, X.509 certificates, authentication, and data encryption. This gives users a simple and secure way to integrate data from production into innovative and flexible IIoT solutions.

"We are again expanding our Docker-based edgeConnector product family to address the growing need for integration interfaces in software that can be operated on standard hardware and can be managed efficiently," explains Abel Jimenez, Product Manager at Softing Industrial. "In this way, we support users and system integrators in bridging the gap between OT and IT."

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@SoftingIA @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Manufacturing

Operational agility improvement with I/O solution.

I/O blocks help manufacturers improve automation efficiency and connectivity, enabling smarter machines to deliver better enterprise performance.

Rockwell Automation has released its new Allen‑Bradley® ArmorBlock 5000™ I/O blocks. Integrated with IO-Link technology, the distributed I/O solution offers smart capabilities that can help industrial manufacturers improve operational productivity with minimal cost.

“With the increasingly complex manufacturing landscape, our customers are challenged to improve operational resilience while maintaining efficiency. Smarter technology is a key enabler for better enterprise visibility, leading to timely data-driven decisions,” says Sean Homan, business director, Asia Pacific Business Center, Rockwell Automation. “ArmorBlock 5000 I/O is the result of our commitment to delivering innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. With its distributed monitoring and control, and highly integrated IO-Link capabilities, this On-Machine I/O solution can drive production agility for industrial automation.”

Manufacturers can deploy and maintain smart automation more efficiently with the ArmorBlock 5000 I/O solution. With the highly integrated IO-Link capabilities, machine design complexity is reduced through simpler device configuration and better integration with Allen‑Bradley controllers. Users can speed up project development with the common tag structure and configuration workflows in the intuitive Studio 5000 Logix Designer® environment.

Optimized for On-Machine use, the high-performance ArmorBlock 5000 I/O blocks enable quicker installation, commissioning and troubleshooting, which will reduce downtime. The I/O blocks can operate in a wide range of temperatures and offer up to IP69K protection for high-speed applications in harsh environments. Plus, the blocks are available in three industry-standard power variants to meet different regional needs.

The IO-Link master blocks are the first released product from the ArmorBlock 5000 I/O portfolio. These scalable blocks provide a high degree of flexibility with up to eight IO-Link channels that includes four IO-Link Class A and four Class B ports. The ability to control high current devices and improve connectivity can help drive machine performance and productivity.

More offerings will be released in future to complement the ArmorBlock 5000 I/O solution. The upcoming configurable I/O blocks will deliver smart capabilities such as sequence of events (SOE), scheduled output, input timestamping, event trigger, and more.

@ROKAutomation #PAuto

Motor control centre grounding.

A new UL-approved product enhancement from Rockwell Automation helps increase workplace safety in a variety of industries from oil and gas refining operations to food and beverage processing plants.

Allen-Bradley CENTERLINE 1500 medium voltage motor control centers set a new safety standard with the new Integrated Protective Maintenance Grounding (IPMG) device. The integrated device grounds all load-side connections and load cables with the turn of a handle. This eliminates the need to manually attach hazardous temporary grounding cables.

The IPMG device: 

• Provides a method to ground all load-side connections, including the load cables. Removes the cumbersome and hazardous use of utility-style grounding balls and temporary grounding cable assemblies.
• Provides the ability to ground the output (load-side connections) without opening the power cell door.
• Seamlessly integrates into motor control center power cells.

“Industrial operations must manage ever-changing safety environments and requirements,” said Jeff Fowler, product manager, Rockwell Automation. “The new IPMG device provides another level of safety in demanding manufacturing, processing and production environments. This integrated earthing switch eliminates the need for adding temporary grounding point cables.”

The IPMG device is also available in CENTERLINE motor control centers with ArcShield arc-resistant controller designs.

@ROKAutomation #PAuto #Safety

PLC starter kits for machine and motion control.

RS Components, has introduced two programmable logic controller (PLC) starter packs from industrial automation specialist Allen-Bradley, part of the Rockwell Automation group.

The Micro850 and Micro820 Starter Packs contain all the hardware needed to get up and running with the Allen-Bradley Micro850 and Micro820 PLCs, respectively, including power supplies (PSU), controller accessories and graphic terminals.

OEM machine builders can develop standalone applications quickly and inexpensively, without the need to invest in full automated systems.

The Micro850 PLC provided with the Micro850 Starter Pack is designed for larger standalone applications expandable up to 192 digital I/O points, including simple motion control. The pack also includes a PSU, seven digital inputs and one analogue input simulator, a two-channel analogue input plug-in, a PanelView 800 4-inch graphic terminal, 1m Ethernet and USB cables, an instruction manual and a quick reference guide.

The Micro820 Starter Pack includes the nano-size Micro820 PLC, which supports up to 36 I/O points with embedded features such as Ethernet, a microSD slot for data logging and analogue I/O. The Micro820 PLC is well suited to small standalone machine control and remote automation applications with Ethernet connectivity, such as remote terminal units (RTUs) for SCADA. The starter pack also contains a 24V power supply, seven digital inputs and one analogue input simulator, a PanelView 800 4-inch graphic terminal, a 1m Ethernet cable, an installation manual and a quick reference guide.

The Allen-Bradley PanelView 800 4-inch panel-mount graphic terminal included in the standard starter pack features keypad and touchscreen input options and is optimised for use with Micro800 Series PLCs. There is an option to purchase a “Starter Pack Lite” if a graphic terminal is not required.

• For application design, easy PLC programming, device configuration and integration with an HMI editor, the Standard Edition of Connected Components Workbench design software is free to download from Rockwell Automation.

#PAuto #PLC @RSComponents @ROKAutomation

Enhanced server

MatrikonOPC releases enhanced server for Allen Bradley to expand devices supported, optimise performance

MatrikonOPC™ has released its updated OPC server for Allen Bradley, which expands the range of supported Allen Bradley devices, improves performance and simplifies configuration. Additional devices supported include ControlLogix, MicroLogix, and PLC5s - providing users with comprehensive, open access connectivity for their Allen Bradley PLCs.

Key features include: Comprehensive connectivity support for PLC5’s, SLC500’s, Micrologix (1100 A, 1400, 1200 etc), and ControlLogix; Automatic discovery of Allen Bradley PLCs making integration seamless; High-performance OPC Server suited for sequential, process, drive, and motion control.

The Allen Bradley OPC Server includes built-in security that protects data from un-authorized user access by allowing administrators to define exactly what data is visible to which users based on each user’s Windows login credentials. This means the Allen-Bradley OPC Server plays an active role in maintaining data integrity.

“The expanded functionality and improved user experience offered with the OPC Server for Allen Bradley make it easier to set up and maintain, which is more efficient for users dealing with large, multi-device installations,” said Darek Kominek, marketing manager at MatrikonOPC.

Key features include:
Comprehensive connectivity support for PLC5’s, SLC500’s, Micrologix (1100 A, 1400, 1200 etc), and ControlLogix;
Automatic discovery of Allen Bradley PLCs making integration seamless;
High-performance OPC Server suited for sequential, process, drive, and motion control.

Enhancement simplifies workflow

MatrikonOPC™ has expanded the functionality of its OPC Server for Allen Bradley by adding the support for Rockwell®’s EN2T communication card, bit writes, and revamped graphical user interface. With the newly added features, the MatrikonOPC Server for Allen-Bradley® provides users with a comprehensive connectivity package for all Allen-Bradley PLCs in one OPC Server and an optimized workflow, all of which makes configuration and maintenance faster and more intuitive.

Enabling Bit Writes through OPC items provides granular control over data access, which allows engineers to perform intricate operations down to the lowest levels. Also, this OPC Server comes with built-in role-based security down to the per- tag-level. Based on each user’s login, this OPC Server selectively grants or denies access to specific tags, providing only the authorized users with secure access to the right process data. This means the Allen-Bradley OPC Server actively protects the integrity of the overall automation system data.

“Today’s tough economy is driving companies to find innovative ways to do more with less – if they do not, the competition will. The advanced functionality and simplified workflow MatrikonOPC put into this OPC Server for Allen Bradley makes it easier to setup and maintain – saving users time and effort,” said Darek Kominek, marketing manager at MatrikonOPC.

Key features include:
Comprehensive connectivity support for PLC5’s, SLC500’s, Micrologix (1100 A, 1400, 1200, etc.), and ControlLogix’s
Automatic discovery of Allen Bradley PLCs making the integration a snap.
High-performance OPC Server suited for sequential, process, drive, and motion control
And many more...

PLC support expanded

Allen-Bradley & Siemens plc support expanded

Maple Systems has just expanded their PLC support to more fully integrate their HMIs with controllers from Allen Bradley and Siemens. This important expansion in capabilities comes with their newest release of EZware.

Among the enhancements of this upgrade is the ability to utilize tags with Allen-Bradley Controllers in such a way that they can be named with descriptive text the programmer chooses rather than having tag names based on PLC memory addresses.

This is important on two levels. First, it means that your Maple HMI can work with an Allen-Bradley controller without changing the coding of the controller itself. That allows you to place a Maple HMI into an established Allen-Bradley process without disrupting the existing controller program.

Secondly and from a practical standpoint, cryptic names for variable tags can be replaced with more appropriate nomenclature. That allows you to create descriptive tags which are more meaningful to your unique automation process -- like "pumphouse7" for example.

Also added into the new software are 26 new communication drivers. Included is a protocol for the new Siemens S7-1200 PLC. And with a total of 170 different protocols supported, the Maple HMI grants you flexibility with the brands you want to deal with. This upgrade also includes 67 other operational enhancements that expand the capabilities of the HMI.

In addition, the company has announced that four of its HMI products have just been UL listed for the US and Canada. They include the 5.6 inch HMI5056N, the 4.3 inch widescreen HMI5043N, the 7 inch widescreen HMI5070TH, and the 10.2 inch widescreen HMI5100T. In addition these products are CE certified and RoHS compliant.

Tunneling and automation B2B solution

Kepware Technologies, the leader in Communications for Automation has released KEPServerEX version 5.2. This release delivers significant new features including an OPC UA Client and Server, an Alarm and Event Condition option - expanding on the previously delivered OPC AE interface, and updated Mettler Toledo and IDEC Drivers.

OPC UA is the most robust of OPC Foundation specifications. KEPServerEX now delivers an OPC UA Server, in addition to existing OPC DA and OPC AE interfaces. KEPServerEX also delivers an optional OPC UA Client Driver. The combination of OPC UA Client and Server interfaces, in addition to all other KEPServerEX interfaces enable it to be a “Standards Based” Tunneling solution. Tunneling solutions are a replacement for Microsoft DCOM communications in distributed OPC DA applications. More importantly for the automation industry, the security inherent to OPC UA, in terms of data encryption and authentication makes it an excellent choice for real-time data sharing in Automation related Real-time Business to Business (B2B) applications. B2B has typically been handled on a non-real-time transactional basis with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or with custom developments when real-time connectivity was required. Now, Kepware offers a standards based and cost effective off the shelf solution.

This release also delivers a significant new Alarm and Event Condition option, the ability to monitor variables and configure conditions with which to trigger Alarm or Event messaging. The Alarm and Event Condition option works in conjunction with the KEPServerEX OPC AE interface.

Further enhancements include additional CID (Custom Interface Driver – OPC Toolkit) sample code in C#, an updated Allen Bradley ControlLogix Driver – now supports 1024 Programs and multi-byte Strings, Mettler Toledo – scale controls, IDEC Driver – expanded ranges for MicroSmart and Open models, and Modbus Ethernet – Global settings changes at runtime.

“KEPServerEX enhancements are released on a quarterly schedule,” explained Tony Paine, President of Kepware Technologies. “Each release is packed with major new technology and value for our customers. We are not just a driver company any more. Our goal is Interoperability – through Standards and with popular native interfaces.”

“Kepware, through its OEM partnerships, channels and direct efforts, is a major driver of OPC adoption in the world,” says Thomas Burke, President of the OPC Foundation. “Their new support for OPC UA, and the positioning for Real-time B2B for Automation is very creative and exactly what we need at a time when all communications are moving toward standards. For example, the world has a focus on the SmartGrid. That is Real-time B2B for Automation. Data needs to be exchanged between customers and suppliers in real-time and securely, and OPC UA technology, through players like Kepware, will solve real world problems with off the shelf, cost effective solutions.”

Website downloads will be available on February 11th 2010.

Signal conditioners help reduce cabling and maintenance costs, increase efficiency for users

Rockwell Automation have launched a new line of signal conditioners designed to help maximize the efficiency and performance of process applications by helping users isolate, convert and amplify analog signals in applications involving batch or continuous processes.

Comprised of 29 distinct products, the Allen-Bradley Bulletin 931 analog signal conditioners mark the first Rockwell Automation components specifically designed for process applications.

The Bulletin 931 analog signal conditioners isolate multiple signals on the same power source, reducing ground loop and common mode noise. By incorporating the Bulletin 931 analog signal conditioners into an existing control system, users can convert a wide range of signals from field devices into a standard 4 to 20 milliamp signal. This helps users extend the performance and functionality of legacy control systems, improves design and integration flexibility, and mitigates the need for additional I/O purchases.

The signal conditioners are designed to help reduce time and costs associated with control system installations and upgrades for a diverse range of process applications. The signal conditioners can be integrated with their PlantPAx Process Automation System, leveraging a single control platform for discrete, batch, process, safety, drives and motion control.

Users with control systems that transmit thermocouple signals over significant distances can take advantage of the Bulletin 931 analog signal conditioners to help reduce additional I/O and cabling costs. The signal conditioners convert thermocouple signals into the standard 4 to 20 milliamp signal, which can be run over long distances on standard cable with less chance of signal deterioration.

Many of the Bulletin 931 analog signal conditioners have hazardous location approvals, including ATEX and UL Class 1, Div 2 certification, helping customers meet global standards to compete internationally. In addition, transmission of data over the HART Communication Protocol is available on certain models.

4.5 million downloads

Data Portal has extensive collection of device and component data

In just one year after its much anticipated launch, the EPLAN Data Portal has had a tremendous effect on engineering - 4.5 million downloads speak for themselves. This innovative web-based portal delivers around 100,000 items of the latest tested and certified component and device data from numerous leading component manufacturers, thereby giving users an extra productivity boost.

In addition to perfect software support, engineers need suitable component data that can be imported directly into a project. With its extensive collection of device and component data from renowned manufacturers, this Data Portal ensures seamless engineering at maximum speed. In no time at all, a desired component can be found by using a keyword, manufacturer’s name, product group or catalogue view in the direct search function. The time-consuming act of browsing through catalogues and manually transferring information are a thing of the past. Data is entered directly in a project from the EPLAN Data Portal - with all the convenient functions of a web-based solution.

Manufacturers currently participating in EPLAN Data Portal are ABB, B&R, Bachmann Electronic, Eaton/Moeller, HARTING, Helukabel, Igus, Lapp Kabel, Martens Elektronik, Michael Riedel Transformatoren, Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact, Pilz, Rittal, Rockwell Automation/Allen Bradley, Schneider Electric, SEW, Siemens, Vishay ESTA, WAGO, Weidmüller.

See EPLAN Data Portal boosts project speed (2nd December 2009)