New Parker motion controller series is powerful and modular

Parker Hannifin is releasing a new motion controller range for the global industrial automation market. Intelligent, multi-axis Parker motion controllers combine machine logic, real-time motion control, advanced safety features and visualisation in a completely scalable solution.

The electro-mechanical motion controller series is said to be ideal for OEMs building packaging, material forming, printing or handling machines, as well as system integrators providing factory automation solutions for the automotive, textile, papermaking and food and beverage industries. Based on robust, fan-less ARM CPU architecture, the series consists of the PAC120 and PAC340. These compact industrial programmable controllers form part of a system of I/O modules for linking process signals within an EtherCAT network.

Using the leading vendor-independent CODESYS SoftMotion platform for quick and easy programming, Parker motion controllers offer dedicated functionalities to allow the optimal development of motion control applications. Everything is integral within a single user interface so that engineers can work smarter, more efficiently and more effectively based on the IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen Motion standards.

Notably, the modular PAC architecture is expandable with a safety controller and safety I/O modules to meet the requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, thus reducing the efforts of developing, verifying and approving a safety application.

Engineered for easy configuration into existing plant networks and the provision of third-party device connectivity, the Parker motion controller series comes as standard with a variety of on-board communication protocols, including an OPC UA server, Modbus TCP, EtherCAT and dual LAN networks, along with additional options for Ethernet/IP, PROFINET and PROFIBUS. The OPC UA server facilitates integrated Industry 4.0 connectivity. USB ports and a built-in SD card slot enable the local storage of process data and the exchange of control programs.

The industrial-grade PAC120 and PAC340 provide design engineers with choices via differences in memory capacity, CPU performance, communication options and CNC functionalities to suit the requirements of almost any automation project involving motion, synchronisation or positioning tasks.

Meeting the needs of applications demanding flexible motion and automation control, PAC120 provides Profinet I/O or Ethernet/IP options, as well as native Modbus TCP on-board. For design engineers tasked with developing solutions involving highly demanding, real-time, multi-axis applications, PAC340 offers a high-performance CODESYS 1.5 GHz quad core CPU, along with native Profinet I/O and Ethernet IP on-board. Both PAC120 and PAC340 are suitable for global deployment with the required certificates (CE, UL and CCC).