Cloud software: Beckhoff Automation hasintroduced new TwinCAT Cloud Engineeringsoftware for IoT (Internet of Things) andIndustry 4.0 applications. With this fea-ture-filled addition to the TwinCAT 3 platform, users can use existing TwinCAT engineering and runtime products directly in thecloud. The solution is easy to access from theBeckhoff website with a web browser andrequires no additional software, accordingto the company. In addition, TwinCAT CloudEngineering enables registered users to workwith the TwinCAT development environmenteven from previously unsupported devices,such as tablets.
PC-based control offers a central, open,and comprehensive machine control platformideal for delivering highly efficient IoT-basedautomation strategies, the company says. Itenables machines, plants, and productionlines to be connected in ways that unlocktheir full efficiency potential across entireprocesses. In this context, TwinCAT CloudEngineering adds a new dimension by providing users with an easy means of engineeringTwinCAT instances and controllers in thecloud.
The TwinCAT Cloud Engineering instancesgenerated by users can be connected to physical control hardware over a secure transportchannel. Users not only enjoy all the advantages of the TwinCAT control architecture butalso distributed collaboration support througha source control repository. For new users inparticular, having access to a TwinCAT CloudEngineering instance in the cloud provides anideal and comprehensive foundation to learnhow to work in the TwinCAT environment,according to the company.
In addition, TwinCAT Cloud Engineeringenables users to move their entire TwinCATarchitecture to the cloud; the only differenceversus a conventional TwinCAT environmentis that they use a virtual machine instead ofa local PC for engineering. One advantageis that users don’t have to familiarize themselves with a new software environment.Another is that they avoid the need to installand maintain multiple software versions tailored to specific machine generations on theirown PCs. Instead, users can run separateTwinCAT Cloud Engineering instances withdifferent software versions, all of which canbe accessed remotely. Project files are storedin a source code control repository that canbe accessed directly from within TwinCATEngineering. (Beckhoff Automation, www.beckhoffautomation.com)
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Forklift truck handset: TVH in the Americas, a provider of replacement parts andaccessories for material handling and industrial equipment, is now offering a “16Truck Handset” for the Zapi controllers used on forklift trucks.
The handsets adjust controller parameters, test the controller inputs, restoresettings from previously saved files, read the last five controller errors encountered,and calibrate the accelerator pedal.
The handset kit works with most Zapi controllers and comes with a handset port,five adapter cables, and a carrying case. (TVH in the Americas, www.tvh.com)
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