Festo is cooperating with Phoenix Contact. Both companies want to contribute their strengths to a technology partnership in order to further expand their market positions. Festo, manufacturer of pneumatic and electrical automation technology, will use PLCnext Technology, Phoenix Contact's open ecosystem for automation, in future devices.
The new product generation is expected to be launched at the end of the year. The integration of PLCnext Technology opens up new opportunities for Festo: PLCnext Technology has an open architecture on the basis of which individual solutions can be developed and existing systems can be seamlessly adapted and integrated. Festo can thus offer customized, open automation solutions for specific customer requirements. Combining the expertise of both companies also offers advantages for partners and customers when it comes to challenges such as cyber security, which are not so obvious to customers.
Festo was looking for a partner with an open system approach for its future orientation, who would provide an appropriate operating system and also develop it further. Festo found the solution at Phoenix Contakt: the PLCnext Technology automation platform.
PLCnext Control is the hardware basis of the PLCnext Technology ecosystem. It runs an open Linux environment. The hardware is available in three different versions:
- The AXC F 1152 modular controller with an Arm Cortex A9 single core, 800 MHz computing core. Approvals are available from EAC, TÜV SÜD Type tested, UAE-RoHS and cULus Listed.
- The high-performance and safety PLC RFC 4072S with standard CPU Intel Core 5-6300U (dual core, 2.4 GHz) and safety CPUs ARM Cortex A9, 800 MHz & 1 x ARM Cortex A8, 600 MHz. Approvals are available from UL Listed, cUL Listed, cULus Listed, EAC, Functional Safety, PROFINET, PROFIsafe.
- The compact EPC 1502 edge controller with Intel Celeron N3350 processor and FCC approval
Ulrich Leidecker, COO and President of the Business Area Industrial Management and Automation at Phoenix Contact, adds that the openness of PLCnext Technology offers numerous suppliers the opportunity to offer flexible and safe automation technology. The more partners participate in an open automation ecosystem, the more valuable the ecosystem becomes for each individual participant.
