New automation-focused resource centre launched for engineers

Mouser Electronics, Inc., launches its new automation resource centre to supply engineers with the latest in industrial automation. Engineers specialising in this field can employ this hub to stay current with advancements in control systems, robotics, and cutting-edge automation software.

At its core, industrial automation drives improved efficiency, boosts productivity, and enhances system reliability while lowering operational costs and improving safety protocols. Through the resource centre, professionals can find in-depth articles, including:

• Industry 5.0: The Industrial Evolution: Proposed by the European Commission in 2022, Industry 5.0 shifts the industry's focus from profit to human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. It promotes a circular economy, sustainable digitisation, and worker reskilling.
• Open-Source Industrial Automation: Open-source technologies are transforming industrial automation through flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced security. Key benefits include interoperability, vendor independence, and community-driven development.
• Sensors and Analytics in Industrial Automation: Industry 5.0 thrives on sensors and analytics for real-time data, boosting efficiency, sustainability, and quality. Advanced sensors enable safe human-robot collaboration. Using both long-term and real-time data, predictive maintenance cuts downtime and repair costs.

The company's automation content hub is curated by its expert technical team and trusted manufacturing partners. The extensive library is full of resources, including articles, blogs, eBooks, products, and explainer videos breaking down topics like operational safety solutions, predictive maintenance solutions, and machine vision. This allows engineers to navigate the next generation of manufacturing and design cutting-edge industrial automation solutions.

"Our commitment to engineering excellence means equipping designers with a strategic toolkit of in-depth insights and a wide range of products," said Eric Wendt, Mouser vice president of Supplier Management. "Through the content hub, our goal is to empower manufacturing professionals to design safer, more efficient systems that meet the evolving demands of modern manufacturing."

The company stocks the industry's widest selection of semiconductors and electronic components, including the following products and solutions for automation applications:

• The FT1J All-in-One PLC and HMI from IDEC offers a powerful and compact solution for diverse industrial control needs. This series incorporates a PLC with a 4.3" PCAP HMI, ensuring outstanding performance and efficiency. The PCAP touch panel is designed for reliable operation, supporting multi-touch, thin gloves, and water droplet prevention. With a dual CPU architecture, scan times are optimised and flexible. These units are ideal for modern industrial environments.
• The LOGO! 8.4 logic modules by Siemens are compact basic interfaces that support extensive I/O connections, offering an integrated display, control panel, and EEPROM memory for control programming. These modules perform vital logic functions like pulse edge evaluation, timing, counting, and analogue function blocks. A key highlight of the module series is its preconfigured cloud connectivity and open MQTT communication, allowing users to easily connect to the cloud for live data access and even act as a cloud gateway for existing systems.
• The K50Z multipoint sensor from Banner Engineering is a self-contained optical sensor that employs 3D Time-of-Flight technology. It provides reliable nearest-distance and angled target measurement with 64 points, capturing the nearest distance and average height over a wide 45° x 45° field of view up to 2m. Ideal for industrial fill or area detection, it offers a compact IP67 housing, dual discrete outputs, and configurable settings via IO-link or Banner Measurement Sensor Software.
• The ICAM-540 Industrial AI Camera by Advantech is a durable, intelligent camera powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Orin module, designed for real-time image processing and analytics in industrial settings. This compact, fanless device integrates lighting, vision, and edge computing, and is constructed to withstand harsh factory conditions. Its web UI and extensive software support simplify integration for machine vision ISVs, allowing full solution development.