From electronics housings to the control cabinet module for AS-Interface Working together with Phoenix Contact, Pepperl+Fuchs has developed the ME-IO housing for a control cabinet module.
Customer profile Pepperl+Fuchs
Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH is one of the market leaders in the development and manufacture of electronic sensors and components for automation technology. Founded in Mannheim, Germany, in 1945, the company offers solutions for factory and process automation.
The challenge
In systems manufacturing, such as in the beverage industry, cost-effective and easy-to-install solutions are becoming increasingly important. Compact modules in the lower field level with a high number of terminal points are still a rarity here. Working closely together with Phoenix Contact, Pepperl+Fuchs has developed the KE5 control cabinet module, which closes this gap.
With its unique housing design, the KE5 offers decisive advantages in terms of mounting, cabling, and maintenance
The solution
The journey from the development of a new device to its practical application by the end user is often a long one. That is why it is by no means usual for the detailed device requirements of the end user to be passed onto the component developers.
“With Phoenix Contact as a specialist for electronic housings and PCB connection technology, we were able to break down our requirements from beverage industry systems manufacturing into specific components”, recalls Dr. Konrad Kern, Product Manager for Factory Automation at Pepperl+Fuchs in Mannheim, Germany.
“AS-Interface (AS-i, Actuator Sensor Interface) plays an important role for leading manufacturers of bottling plants”, states Kern. Developed as a standard for fieldbus communication to connect actuators and sensors, nowadays AS-i not only offers an optimum price/performance ratio, it has also gained a lot of popularity as a distributed interface system with its simplicity and flexibility.
With Phoenix Contact as a specialist for electronics housings and PCB connection technology, we were able to break down our requirements from beverage industry systems manufacturing into specific components.
Products Multifunctional ME-IO electronics housings
The electronics housings from the ME-IO series are particularly suitable for applications with a limited amount of installation space and high function requirements. Tailor-made modules, such as controllers and I/O modules, can be easily assembled with their modular design.
Summary
User-oriented solutions are achieved through close cooperation between the project partners at an early stage. This is demonstrated by Phoenix Contact, as an expert in electronics housings and connection technology, and Pepperl+Fuchs, as a driving force for innovation with respect to AS-i.
It was possible to develop an innovative control cabinet module for bottling plants that met the requirements from systems manufacturing. The innovative connection technology on the housing is especially efficient, and the Push-in spring-cage connector enables convenient and tool-free wiring. For maintenance-friendly device replacement, the codable male connectors can be released swiftly via a locking system. A DIN rail connector is used for communication between the modules.