Secure industrial remote access platform.

Red Lion’s Secure Remote Access Platform, in partnership with MB connect line GmbH, is now available in Great Britain, Norway, Iceland as well as Ireland*, Sweden, Finland, and France. This next-generation remote access solution meets the most demanding security requirements of modern industrial applications. 

Red Lion’s Secure Remote Access Platform centralizes the management of routers, allowing users to quickly respond to and act on their most crucial assets from anywhere, at any time. The ability to remotely access, monitor and manage diverse equipment helps to lower operational costs and downtime by reducing site visits and dramatically improving response times.

“As the industrial world rapidly shifted to the new normal of remote production operations due to the pandemic, demand for platforms that securely enables these remote production operation capabilities has never been stronger and more critical,” according to Craig Resnick, Vice President, ARC Advisory Group. “Red Lion’s Secure Remote Access Platform was designed to enable secure access in real-time from any location. ARC expects that this new normal of remote production operations will remain even after the pandemic, as the industry has recognized its benefits to maximizing productivity, key performance indicators, profitability, and most importantly, sustainability to overcome any future pandemic-like challenges.”

Red Lion’s Secure Remote Access routers and software provide flexible capability with unyielding security. The RLConnect24, a remote service portal, provides a simple centralized site to monitor and manage deployed assets and users. RLConnect24 also provides data visualization, geographic mapping, data logging, and alarms based on operational or system-generated data. The RLDialUp client software enables operators to securely connect their PC to remote assets for maintenance and configuration, just as if they were plugged into it locally. The routers are industrial-grade gateways that offer optional LAN, WAN, serial, USB, Wi-Fi or 4G LTE connectivity to ensure seamless integration with any industrial application.

Red Lion also launched RA10, a compact industrial firewall, which provides OT-cybersecurity. This intelligent firewall can learn and self-configure to help secure older assets, avoid address conflicts, and/or logically isolate machines or groups of machines.

* Red Lion products are marketed in Ireland through Instrument Technology.

@redlioncontrols @arc_advisory @mepaxIntPR #Pauto #Europe

Touchless control.

A new addition to Omron's B5W series of optical sensors has been announced. The new B5W-DB diffuse reflector sensor has a longer sensing distance of 550mm, longer than light convergent resistance sensors of the same size making it ideal for COVID safe user interfaces.

The Omron B5W-DB features enhanced disturbance light resistance, making the product less susceptible to ambient light such as sunlight. The sensor can be mounted from four directions and it operates on an impressively low current consumption of 20mA maximum.

The new diffuse reflector sensor opens itself up to applications in washroom equipment, sterilization equipment and entry control systems. Touchless sensors have a lower infection risk, making them COVID-secure and giving peace of mind to patrons using facilities in washrooms and other public spaces. They can also be used to activate security and door entry systems when an individual is seeking admission, and to operate sterilization equipment reducing the risk of cross-infection.

Omron B5W sensors are particularly effective at identifying black, transparent, reflective and other hard to detect surfaces, and the new range also features enhanced performance in this area.

In addition to the B5W-DB, the miniature B5W-LB2101 and LB2112 are still available with analogue or digital outputs with a sensing range of 10-55mm for white paper, falling to 10-40mm for black. These devices are sized at 40 x 8.4 x 15.9 mm. For applications requiring an even and more compact solution, the super-miniature B5W-LB1112 is just 26 x 8.4 x 13mm. It offers a sensing distance of 2-10mm for white paper and 3-8mm for black. All digital devices are offered in light-on and light-off form and are sealed to IP50.

@OmronEurope @NeeshamPR #Sensors 

 

Physical access control!

Though not strictly automation we thought this item would interest you as security not only in the control systems is important but the matter of physical access can also be a source of worry! Knob twiddlers can sometimes create real problems!

The EKS Light from Euchner is a transponder-based access control system consisting of two components: an Electronic-Key with RFID transponder and an Electronic-Key adapter with integral read unit. It was designed particularly for smaller, decentralized applications to permit reliable controlled access to individual machines or to entire installations there as well. The new FSA version of the EKS Light was specially developed to solve the widespread problem involving tampering of safety guards.

It is simple to operate. Every user receives an EKS Electronic-Key with a certain access and authorization profile. This Electronic-Key is required to access an object or machine protected by EKS Light FSA.  The check integrated into the device releases access with a certain access level if the Electronic-Key is valid.

The new FSA version of the EKS Light was specially developed to solve the widespread problem involving tampering of safety guards. For this purpose, it was specifically expanded for safety applications in combination with the mode selection. The user is assigned the access rights via the EKS. He can then select the desired operating mode using an additional facility, such as a selector switch or touch display. Trained personnel are thereby specifically authorized to perform critical setup and maintenance work in a special, hazardous operating mode.

The FSA version features an additional floating switched semiconductor output that can be utilized to form a safe shut-down signal. For this purpose a safe evaluation must be included downstream. This characteristic allows the EKS Light FSA to be used in a safety-relevant manner as per Category 3 according to EN 13849-1. The machine is reset to a safe operating mode by removing the Electronic-Key.

Like all EKS Electronic-Key adapters from EUCHNER, the EKS Light FSA has also been conceived specifically for industrial use. In addition to the high degree of protection (IP67), its other impressive features are its robust, compact design and the option of placing the Electronic-Key on the installation during the work.

The EKS light FSA is available during Summer 2011.