Beckhoff offers a flexible and highly efficient control cabinet alternative in the form of MX-System, a modular and pluggable automation toolkit. The new baseplates and modules in size 3 can be combined with size 1 and 2 modules in the usual system, expanding the range of applications in which the MX-System – a byword for control cabinet-free automation – can be used.
The MX-System baseplate in size 3 offers an additional row of data slots, opening up a new set of possibilities. There are now significantly more slots available to accommodate even more function modules within the same width. The baseplate is compatible with all function modules in the existing sizes, but also with the new 3-row function modules. The principle of passive cooling remains the same in size 3, although the larger cooling surface means that other performance ranges can be achieved. The first size 3 modules are a 600 V DC supply with 40 A nominal current, a servo controller with 28 A nominal current, and a power supply for up to 63 A. More options based on size 3 will be added in the future – such as modules for switching AC loads of up to 16 A or frequency inverters with up to 15 kW. It will also be possible to implement feeds of up to 125 A.
This addition to the portfolio significantly increases the range of applications in which the MX-System can be used. Up to now, machines requiring high power inputs could only be implemented to a limited extent and in a hybrid manner using the modular MX-System. However, the 3-row baseplates are now able to replace the control cabinet for power distribution that was previously required in these cases, allowing more and larger machines to be configured entirely control cabinet-free. In the topology of a machine, a 3-row baseplate will likely always be positioned above the 1-row and 2-row baseplates that have been provided up to now, serving as a central point in a combined star and daisy-chain topology. For a small, compact machine, the 3-row baseplate can be used to fit as many size 1 and 2 modules as possible on a minimal surface area, providing a full replacement for the control cabinet and making it possible to benefit from the MX-System’s wider range of functions.