Mitsubishi Electric has released an innovative 24VDC digital input plugin module for its FRE800 range of variable speed drives (VSDs). Developed to support setup and maintenance activities, the FRE8DS keeps the node active when the main power source is turned off. This improves flexibility and reduces energy requirements whilst enabling users to interact with the control section without for an industrial power supply.

TimeSensitive Networking (TSN) is an enabling technology for Smart Factories. The technology is ideally suited to help merge the realms of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), facilitating the dev elopment of holistic dataled manufacturing strategies. To fully realise the benefits a TSNdriven setup, companies need to consider compatibility, the protocols used on top of TSN and network architecture.

The latest update to Mitsubishi Electric’s RT Toolbox3 and iQ Works2 offers a new visual editor for programming SCADA and six-axis industrial robots. Delivering enhanced user-friendliness, and with operators that are new to robotics in mind, the update can help users greatly streamline the set-up of automated applications.

Future-oriented manufacturing is all about flexible and responsive operations that can promptly address market demands based on data and new insights. With highly regulated manufacturing processes, can pharmaceutical manufacturers embrace agile strategies to improve their competitiveness? The short answer is yes – provided the right automation solutions are used.

The COVID pandemic has made a drastic impact on society, not only on our health but if we look at the industrial aspects, it has pushed the ‘digital’ revolution forward, from how we have business meetings to the way we learn to operate factories. This sudden digital shift, together with the latest developments in 5G communication, is stimulating a need for more cloud-based and online solutions, which in turn is motivating huge investments in IT infrastructure such as data centres. In this article, Hiroki Nishiyama, global manager of data centre marketing at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, explains further about the challenges facing this important rising industry.