Conveyor technology is part of the critical infrastructure of every logistics company. This is why the logistics service provider Arvato SE has completely retrofitted the central conveyor line between several warehouses and the order picking area at its Harsewinkel site. With PC-based control, One Cable Automation, and around 200 EP7402 EtherCAT Box modules with integrated MDR controllers from Beckhoff, the system runs much more efficiently, quietly, and reliably.

The Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC – Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands), a research institute at the University of La Laguna, Spain, operates two astronomical observatories on the Canary Islands: the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma and the Teide Observatory on Tenerife. PC-based control and motion control from Beckhoff enable astrophysicists to explore the limits of space.

Electronic components and their structures are becoming smaller and smaller, making it all the more difficult to bond them. Conventional processes have long since reached the limits of what they can do in this area, but the Impulse Printing™ process developed by Dutch start-up Fonontech is bringing something new. It enables advanced packaging of semiconductors in 3D structures in the micrometer range. XFC technology components from Beckhoff and EtherCAT are key in this process.

The new issue of Beckhoff's customer magazine will be published right in time for the SPS, the touchstone for the industry which is held in Nuremberg. In keeping with this significant automation exhibition, this issue of PC Control focuses on new products, innovations, and pioneering automation applications, starting with a comprehensive interview with Hans Beckhoff, Managing Director and owner of Beckhoff Automation, and expanding to cover the next generation of PLC technology, TwinCAT PLC ++, and fascinating applications. We take a look at a magic machine from Tetra Pak, an Innerspec testing method used for complex parts in the aviation and space industry that has been made ten times faster, and dynamic control of up to 90 servo axes in a Durrer machine for producing photo calendars.

Today, efficiency and sustainability are major themes across many sectors. PC- and EtherCAT-based control technology from Beckhoff – termed New Automation Technology – are ideal for achieving and maximizing both of these elements. This issue of PC Control reflects this: TwinCAT Core Boost opens up new possibilities for optimizing control performance and cost efficiency. Dr. Fabian Assion explains how the requirements set by the energy revolution can be fulfilled with integrated control and measurement technology in his interview. The application reports on control technology for hydrogen storage systems from GKN Hydrogen and for weather-independent installation of wind turbines (Seasight Solutions) explore the supply process for renewable forms of energy. Further advantages drawn from boosting efficiency have been achieved in projects on innovative recyclable material sorting (Absolem Engineering), automated gear machining (Tec for Gears), potting electric motor windings (bdtronic), and electrochemical metalworking for volume production (Voxel Innovations).

Beckhoff's New Automation Technology has always been characterized by its innovative prowess and application benefits that put it head and shoulders above the rest. The current issue of our PC Control customer magazine proves this point once again from a wide variety of perspectives: from the successful 2023 financial year to exciting new products such as the TwinCAT Machine Learning Creator to supporting engineering training at the Changshu Institute of Technology and applications that have been successfully implemented in a wide range of industries. Here are just a few examples: PC-based control has been used to automate container handling for 3D printing processes at GKN Additive. After a test bench retrofit, Mercedes-Benz and DynTec are now achieving optimal vehicle tuning using EtherCAT measurement terminals, along with other elements. Finally, JR Automation has found the the key to unlock the huge potential of its modular automation platform for clean manufacturing: our flexible eXtended Transport System (XTS).