Robots for Food

The Siemens Simatic (Siemens Automatic) PLC range was released in 1973 (Simatic S3 controller) to replace the previous Siemens Simatic hard-wired controllers released in 1958. CNC Design has extensive experience, starting with the Siemens S5 system, moving on to the S7300 and S7400 systems, and now to the TIA Portal-native Siemens S71200 and S71500 PLCs. CNC Design is highly skilled at the specification and engineering of the Siemens Safety PLC range, as well as the redundant PLC range (Siemens Simatic S71500-H systems and previously S7400-H systems).

Siemens has always been extremely focused on motion control, which is a key focus for CNC Design. Originally, motion control was done using S5 PLCs with specialised motion control cards. This architecture moved into a similar one with the S7300 PLCs. A major technological leap came with the advent of the dedicated Siemens Simotion motion control system. Simotion has an innovative 'task' based execution system that is not purely cyclic and interrupt-based, as in PLCs. This gives automation engineers unparalleled control of exactly when everything happens in highly synchronised production machinery. The Simotion controller also facilitates standard logic control, so the PLC functionality and motion control functionality are combined in one unit with Simotion. Simotion allows control of the most demanding motion control-centric machines in the world and is an absolute pleasure to engineer with. Siemens' core strength worldwide is supplying industrial automation parts to production machine OEMs, and hence, the Simatic department has also been investing heavily in motion control capability. The Siemens Simatic Technology CPUs for motion control were initially released in Siemens' S7300 variant, but significantly upgraded with the move to the fully re-engineered S71500 range. With the S71500 range, motion control was built into its firmware, drastically increasing its performance. Today, all Siemens S71200 and S71500s have motion control built into their firmware. However, for any motion control that involves forward interpolation, a Simatic Technology CPU is still needed. Siemens's advances have drastically reduced the price point of motion control and increased its accessibility.

Siemens coined the name 'Sinumerik' (Siemens numeric controller) in 1964 to name the numerical controllers it had been producing for a number of years. Throughout this time and CNC Design's last 35 years, a huge increase in performance and range has ensued. There are three tiers of Sinumerik CNC controllers, from those appropriate for low-value machines to the latest generation 'Digital Native' Sinumerik One controller. This controller can control the most complex machine tools in the world in a user-friendly, high-availability way with an industry-leading surface finish. The Siemens controller can have edge processing analytics added to it, port OEE or diagnostic information to cloud systems or in-house monitoring systems, or simply display it on its own screen.

Siemens was a pioneer in mass-produced and industrial PCs, with its first mass-produced computer released in 1957. Siemens continues to have a class-leading range of industrial PCs. Whether you want a PC almost as small as a pack of playing cards to mount on DIN rail, an ultra-high-performance tower or 19-inch rack unit, or anything in between, Siemens has it. One can load any of the technologies outlined above onto an appropriately specified industrial PC. For example, Siemens Industrial PCs can run 'Soft' PLCs, Soft Safety PLCs, Simotion motion controllers, or Sinumerik machine tool controllers. Then, one can add any number of other systems to said IPC, from a visualisation system, including Siemens' latest generation' WinCC Unified Advanced' visualisation platform, to a myriad of 3rd party software, including vision, database, edge processing, scheduling, reporting, or analysis software. Keep your industrial control system flexible and future-ready with Siemens New Zealand's optimal upgrade paths for your plant or OEM machinery. Siemens parts and controllers distributed by CNC Design give you the power of the hardware, unleashed with expert specification and advice from a local company that has been keenly supporting New Zealand business since 1989.