Development meets application
E-T-A relies on the ControlPlex® systems for intelligent power distribution in its own production facilities.
E-T-A offers customised solutions for the industrial sector. Does E-T-A use its products in the company’s own production facilities?
Philipp Meyer: Our products contribute to increased system availability and stable processes in production facilities - including, of course, our own plants.
Together with a machine manufacturer from the Würzburg region, we are currently building a new plant to produce our 1620 thermal circuit protector. We supply the testing and adjustment system for this purpose, which is integrated into the overall system.
We rely on our ControlPlex® system, an intelligent complete system for DC 24 V power distribution and overcurrent protection in the industrial sector.
What are ControlPlex® systems used for?
Philipp Meyer: The system protects the connected loads against damage caused by overcurrent and short circuits. It also enables the import of measuring values and status information from the individual circuit protectors and their control units. Our ControlPlex® systems therefore provide transparency for the DC 24 V power supply. They are connected to the main control systems via IO link or the fieldbus systems, which increases not only the access options but also the overall system availability.
The ControlPlex® systems provide selective overcurrent protection, current distribution of load circuits and their switching or resetting. The system combines these functions with the ability to communicate with the superordinate control systems.
What are the advantages of the ControlPlex® systems?
Philipp Meyer: To name two key terms: System transparency and remote access.
We can record production data, recognise current peaks, check the status of the circuit protectors and react to changes in load voltages - all conveniently and remotely via the computer.
As many system operators do not have the appropriate authorisation to open control cabinets, they have no way to check the status of conventional circuit breakers. The ControlPlex® system with CPC12 bus controller provides a convenient overview of the power distribution system data via the system's user interface. Authorised personnelle can switch the circuit breakers back on remotely to quickly respond to fault conditions, which contributes to maximum system availability.
The fieldbus interfaces of the ControlPlex® system allows connection between the power distribution systems and superordinate systems, which allows continuous recording of status information and measuring values. The CPC12 bus controller also provides load data connected to the circuit breakers, indicating impending malfunctions at an early stage. This is the prerequisite for predictive maintenance and helps prevent unwanted production downtimes and increases machine uptime.
The ControlPlex® systems are flexible and can be customised to the respective system configuration. Thanks to their modular design, the intelligent systems can also be easily expanded with minimal wiring effort. The compact design saves space in the control cabinet.
