Industry news

Red Lion Controls expands secure remote access offering

The MB connect line of highly secured hardware and software solutions will enhance Red Lion’s modular and rugged industrial automation and networking technology.

RED LION CONTROLS, AN OPERATING COMPANY of UK-based Spectris plc, has announced the acquisition of MB connect line GmbH, a leading provider of secure connection of machines and plants for remote access, data collection, and M2M-communication.

The addition of MB connect line supports Red Lion’s strategy to deliver secure, easy-to-use edge connectivity solutions - enabling organizations worldwide to gain secure real-time data visibility that drives productivity.

MB connect line is a recognized leader of Secure Remote Access, Industrial IoT, and Industrial Security services. MB connect line’s highly secured hardware and software solutions enhance Red Lion’s modular and rugged industrial automation and networking technology.

The addition of MB connect line builds on the strategic collaboration announced between the two companies in 2019. The acquisition expands Red Lion’s portfolio by adding a full complement of products from an industry recognized leader in industrial cybersecurity and offers customers a Remote Service Portal for remote monitoring and remote configuration. Customers will be able to meet the demands of industrial environments and strengthen their operational resiliency with secure remote access solutions.

“Red Lion Controls and MB connect line are a powerful combination. With a shared focus on secure connectivity solutions, we will be better positioned to serve our customers seeking to strengthen their operational resiliency with the convergence of Information Technology and Operations Technology. Red Lion is very excited about starting this new chapter, supporting customers with a broader product offering and greater technical resources,” stated Jack Lee, President of Red Lion Controls. "With the acquisition of MB connect line by Red Lion Controls, we are taking the next step in our successful partnership. MB connect line will continue to expand its comprehensive portfolio of solutions for secure remote maintenance and networking as well as edge and cloud connectivity. MB connect line is very excited to work together with Red Lion Controls to provide the best solutions for the digital transformation in the industry - and to benefit from Red Lion Controls' strong global presence," stated Siegfried Müller, CEO and founder of MB connect line.

5G high bandwidth and low latency is driving process industries to partner with strategic 5G providers.

News report by Red Lion Controls.

Registration of first process automation FDI Host System

FieldComm Group announced that Emerson’s AMS Device Manager has successfully completed conformance requirements testing under FieldComm Group’s FDI Technology Host Registration Policy. Thus, AMS Device Manager became the first FDI host system to earn the right to display the FDI registration logo.

By pairing a registered FDI Device Package with a registered FDI host, end users are assured of achieving the multi-vendor interoperability FDI promise of “One Device – One Package – All Tools.” In practice, this means any HART device supporting FDI will communicate seamlessly with AMS Device Manager, and with future host systems as these become registered.

“This is a monumental achievement for FDI technology and Emerson,” says Ted Masters, President and CEO of FieldComm Group. “Over the past several years we have registered over 100 FDI Device Packages. However, the requirements for host registration are extremely rigorous to ensure compatibility among devices and hosts, making this advancement by Emerson very significant.”

There are several steps required when preparing host systems for conformance testing against current standards. An FDI host must conform to at least the HART Protocol test specification for host systems, in addition to the FDI specifications.

End users benefit because FDI is the preferred path to digital transformation in the process industry, and conforming host systems provide everything needed to advance existing HART process automation infrastructure, while delivering the latest offerings of new instrumentation with data rich FDI Device Packages.

5G high bandwidth and low latency is driving process industries to partner with strategic 5G providers.

The C7015: bringing multi-core in IP65 directly to the machine

Up to four cores in IP65: with its extremely robust, fanless C7015 ultra-compact Industrial PC, Beckhoff as a specialist in PC-based control technology offers the possibility to install a high-performance Industrial PC in a highly compact design directly at the machine. Versatile on-board interfaces enable connection to the cloud or to other networks. Thanks to the integration of an EtherCAT P interface, further EtherCAT P modules can be connected directly to the C7015. This provides the possibility of automation close to the machine. The integrated Intel Atom® CPU with up to four cores allows simultaneous automation, visualization, and communication in demanding industrial IP65 applications. In addition to classic control tasks, the C7015 is ideally suited for use as a gateway to connect machines and plant sections – and can even handle complex preprocessing of large data volumes thanks to its high processing power.

3 x LAN, 2 x USB, Mini DisplayPort and integrated EtherCAT P port

Scan to discover the full range of applications for the C7015