Nord Drivesystems has joined fellow manufacturers SMC Pneumatics, Beckhoff Automation, Balluff, ZI-Argus in an expert panel that will address the complexities of Industry 4.0 and industrial internet of things (IIoT)technologies.
The panel, Open IIoT, will seek to not only solve automation challenges but to demonstrate tangible customer savings. Nord Drivesystems managing director, Martin Broglia said that meeting smart factory needs and staying ahead of the curve is key to the company’s success in the market.
“Today, there is a demand by more and more customers for IoT technologies to keep them informed, remain flexible and provide efficiencies. More than ever it’s about increased outputs, reduced inputs, more accuracy, more profits and more communication,”Broglia said.
Further explaining their industry-driven solutions, Martin said that Nord Drivesystems decentralized drive units are integrated with a PLC to control both simple and complex applications directly. “This in turn reduces the load on higher-level system control units and enables a modular system design and autonomous production units,” he said.
Broglia said that, with its intelligent drive units that can evaluate the application data and transfer it directly to a sequence control unit in real-time, the company was in a good position to offer Industry 4.0 solutions.
“There is no extra hardware needed to enable these features on our VSDs as they are already embedded, can communicate to a higher control and can provide the data needed – i.e. virtual sensors type information,” he said.
Broglia noted that customers are now looking to save money and reduce their carbon footprint. “The reduction in cost can be accelerated for companies that have conveyor systems i.e. intralogistics, food and beverage, etc. Our super premium efficiency motors, IE4, boasts up to 50 per cent energy savings and has become very popular over the years,” he said.
Broglia said that the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies will accelerate rapidly in Australia over the next few years. “The benefits that Nord is seeing overseas cannot be further ignored otherwise we will be left too far behind.”