Process and control today | Schneider Electric unveils next-generation industrial technology to empower workers and help industries grow sustainably

Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today called on the industry to shift its focus from just production to a model that helps combat both the climate and energy crises.

Speaking at the Innovation Summit World Tour 2022, Schneider Electric’s annual flagship series of customer and partner events, the company’s senior executives stressed that traditional approaches to industrial development were not designed to meet the challenges posed by climate change, the current energy crisis, market and supply chain volatility and deep socio-economic tensions.

“To continue our journey to net zero, we must integrate sustainability, circularity, resilience and quality of life into every stage of industrial decision-making,” said Barbara Frei, Executive Vice President, Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric. “Digitalization, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and automation have driven growth, but it must also benefit society, deliver decarbonization, and protect our Earth’s finite resources. Industry must embrace next-generation technologies, where every innovation empowers workers, advances society, improves well-being and generates sustainable economic growth.

Schneider Electric’s Industrial Automation business used its 2022 customer event to unveil several new offerings focused on promoting engineering efficiency and addressing the challenges of labor shortages. These enable the modern industrial workforce to work more efficiently, reduce commissioning time, extend machine life and efficiency, and reduce energy consumption.

Pursue software-centric automation

EcoStruxure Automation Expert 22.1, the latest version of the world’s first software-centric industrial automation system, further integrates with AVEVA System Platform so users can design graphics with the operations management interface and access the AVEVA’s rich asset library based on the latest situational awareness standards. Designing AVEVA graphics and control applications in the same environment reduces engineering effort by up to 50%, minimizes training time, and eliminates quality issues.

The new version of EcoStruxure Automation Expert now integrates Modicon M262d to provide a cost-effective controller for discrete manufacturing with greater computing power, and now combines with EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin to improve engineering and operational efficiency and improve continuity in the physical and digital worlds.

The EcoStruxure Automation Expert HMI can now be deployed on Linux system PCs, giving users a wider range of hardware and form factors to suit their use case and budget. As EcoStruxure Automation Expert’s SoftdPAC controller already supports Linux, users can now easily configure control applications and HMIs on the same hardware.

Better insights and integration for power and process automation

EcoStruxure Power and Process further leverages AVEVA Unified Operations Center, the industrial collaboration interface that connects operational, information and engineering technologies, to provide enterprise-wide visibility, reduce energy consumption and unplanned downtime, and increase profitability.

EcoStruxure Power and Process now integrates with ETAP’s power management software solutions that design, operate and automate power systems. This combination of technologies enhances simulation capabilities, as process changes can be executed digitally to identify potential efficiencies without making physical changes and provides recovery benefits so that protocols for failures or unstable conditions can be programmed into the systems.

Simplicity and productivity with a new cobot in the Lexium range

Schneider Electric’s new cobot in the Lexium range is part of an advanced robotic system that helps workers perform heavy, repetitive and complex tasks. The cobot is easy to implement in existing industrial environments and improves workforce empowerment and safety. It can perform highly technical tasks with precision, lift objects weighing up to 18 kg and work side-by-side with people on production lines. Users can intuitively program and operate the cobot via an Android app.

Delivering a more resilient and sustainable electric world

With sustainability at the heart of its concerns, and to celebrate and champion initiatives around the world, Schneider also announced its Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Award, designed to recognize the critical role customers and suppliers play in creating a more resilient and sustainable world. Agreement this our successful partners and suppliers will set a precedent for others to follow in their footsteps, the program hopes to have a significant impact through sustainable and effective practices. Applications are now open and the deadline for submission is November 25.