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A new fully automated dosing and weighing machine is controlled by a Horner X7 PLC with integrated HMI and I/Os. In this setup, the industrial panel manages recipes, temperature control, and precise weighing of ingredients. At the same time, it collects batch data, eliminates human errors, and ensures consistent food quality. What does it look like in practice?

To modernize a sheet-cleaning machine, W&K-Automation sought a powerful, compact solution that could be easily integrated into limited cabinet space. They replaced the obsolete control system with the Horner X4 industrial panel, which met all requirements.

A customer's production line stopped at the end of the afternoon shift. The customer's maintenance needed a working SIEMENS safety relay to put the production line back into operation. What about FOXON? Were we able to respond as quickly as the customer needed?

Read this recent real-life story about a FOXON sales representative and a manufacturer of fuel and brake systems based southeast of Prague to find out how cooperation with FOXON works.

You can currently find 170,000 types of parts in our online shop. As we sell new / used / refurbished parts as well as parts without original packaging, you can choose from more than 900,000 parts in up to seven different condition variants. How do you find the parts you need and get a quote for them within an hour? We have some useful tips for you.

The PROFIBUS industrial bus is highly tolerant and will forgive many faults. But if a critical fault occurs—or several small ones accumulate—you will definitely notice. That’s why this aging industrial network deserves attention. Even if faults on your network are still rare, they will gradually accumulate. What do our technicians recommend? What are their 10 tips for maintaining PROFIBUS?

The new version of the data connector focuses especially on management efficiency, increased security and better system monitoring. New features make everyday work with OPC Router easier and improve its deployment in large industrial environments. There are many improvements — what are the main ones?

Power failures are a problem in industrial environments. Sudden system shutdowns can lead to data loss, file corruption or even equipment failure. That's where the NODKA UPS Supercapacitor comes in. How long can the Supercapacitor keep a computer running and how does it control the shutdown of the computer in the event of a power failure? You'll see in the videos below.

The most frequent users of Ewon industrial routers are machine and equipment manufacturers. The remote access capability of these routers enables them to communicate with the control systems of the machines they manufacture and sell, even if they are on the other side of the world. In addition, Ewon Flexy makes it possible to collect data from machines and make it available to customers via visualisation. One of the companines that cleverly use all the benefits of these routers is the leading Czech engineering company ŽĎAS.

Have you written to Santa yet? And what did you ask for? We asked for a new promotional video to introduce our company to you. We want you to know what we can do for you in the fast-approaching year 2025.

At FOXON, we will be using the Christmas holidays at the turn of the year to switch to a new ERP system. This will result in temporary restrictions in our operations. However, we are confident that due to planned production shutdowns and holidays during the holiday period, these restrictions will not have a significant impact on cooperation with our customers.

A good reason to upgrade to a higher version of KEPServerEX is always security, which has been improved in several areas in the latest version. Therefore, we recommend upgrading to the higher version of the software after testing. Other reasons include feature and device connectivity updates as well as fixes and enhancements, which you will find briefly in this article.

We have been selling NODKA panel PCs for over a year. Let's ask one of our satisfied customers, the company Kronospan, why it chose NODKA panel PCs and how it uses them.

In October, Inray and PTC (Kepware) hosted a joint webinar. They presented three case studies of customers taking advantage of the KEPServerEX machine data acquisition software and the OPC Router data connector, as well as their joint synergies. The two platforms have enabled these customers to increase their production efficiency and machine uptime. The customers have also used these tools for remote and predictive maintenance.

Are you using a perpetual license of the KEPServerEX software to collect data from machines? Read our 3 recommendations in response to the changes to the Update & Technical Support (hereafter referred to as Technical Support) purchase terms for perpetual licenses that will take effect on January 1, 2025. We know that expert technical support and upgrades to new software versions are important. Take advantage of the opportunity to purchase Technical Support at a volume discount before the end of the year or to convert your perpetual license to a subscription (Subscription Conversion) under unique conditions. The Subscription Conversion license already includes Technical Support. 

Our engineers perform diagnostics of industrial networks in hundreds of manufacturing companies. They travel across the country to find the causes of failures. We have asked them what problems they have most frequently diagnosed in customers' PROFINET networks recently. What have they told us?

In his review, Jaroslav Blažek (blaja.cz) focused on the UPS Supercapacitor from the manufacturer NODKA. Did it protect a connected device during a power outage as it should have? And for how long did it supply the device with power? Find out in the video below.

The Talk2M cloud service allows EWON router users to easily and securely connect to their devices/machines remotely via the Internet from anywhere in the world. Until now, two types of service have been available – Talk2M free and Talk2M pro. From 2 May 2024, a new, affordable account type – Talk2M light – will be available. In addition, the rules for the free account will change.

At the beginning of 2024 we introduced a new product from the German manufacturer of industrial modules W&T to the Czech market. Check out our short videos to see how easy it is to set up and use W&T sensors and digital and analogue inputs and outputs for data acquisition using OPC UA and MQTT communications. 

In 2023, we established cooperation with Nodka, a manufacturer of industrial computers, panel PCs and monitors, and it turned out to be a good choice. We successfully tested the products and then implemented them in full operation at our customers. Let us take a closer look at this innovation in our market, starting with computers.

The OPC Router program communicates with all OPC servers via the OPC DA or OPC UA protocol. As a result, OPC Router can read data from and write it to all PLCs on the market. And so far, we’ve used only a single OPC Client plug-in module. What else can you connect yourself using additional plug-in modules? Read our article.

Learn how a customer securely connected an older CNC mill with an older operating system to the corporate Ethernet network using a MicroWall VPN firewall appliance.

The new version of OPC Router 5 brings some big changes. The biggest change is the user interface, which brings the user more comfort when working with the program and the ability to work in Linux, macOS, etc. There are also new options for creating user accounts, improvements in application performance optimization and many other improvements.

The rules for building PROFIBUS DP networks state that a maximum of 32 PROFIBUS DP stations can be connected to one segment. The second limitation is the length of the segment cabling, which is inversely proportional to the speed of the PROFIBUS network used. In addition to these rules, there is another rule of thumb that says that 32 stations in one segment means de facto 32 potential points of failure. Each PROFIBUS device has an impact on the quality of the network by its connection to the network. Therefore, reduce the number of PROFIBUS devices in a PROFIBUS segment to a lower number by using ProfiHub repeaters or multirepeaters. The result will be a maximally reinforced, reliable, functional and robust PROFIBUS network that will not be brought down by anything.

Unlike competitive products, PROCENTEC repeaters and multirepeaters have better results in galvanic separation of segments and also digitally smooth the messages between segments. An error in one segment will not move to the other segment, which unfortunately cannot be claimed 100% for all repeaters on the market. If you want quality repeaters and multirepeaters, choose PROCENTEC products. 

Wireless transmission via optics or radio waves? Optical transmission causes minimal delay and requires direct visibility of the optical modules. Wave transmission works at 869 MHz and 2.4 GHz and is useful where optics do not work. For a video demonstration of the German company Schildknecht's products, click HERE.

Getting started with KEPServerEx and want to do a basic configuration of this OPC Server in 5 minutes?  Watch the video demonstration where we will walk you through the basic setup so that you can start reading data from the connected PLC directly into the OPC Server.

Carrying out successful PROFINET network diagnostics can be a challenge – we know that from our own experience. FOXON has been involved with PROFINET diagnostics, repairs and commissioning since 2010. Our portfolio includes testers for active as well as passive PROFINET diagnostics. We have extensive experience working with these testers. Sign up for one of our PROFINET training courses to learn how to use them. We'll be happy to share our expertise with you. For more information on PROFINET network basics training, diagnostics and repair, click HERE.

Do you buy power, signal and communication industrial cables?  Do you pay a lot for them?  Do you need special lengths or different connector designs? We offer replacements for well-known cable brands that we manufacture for you in Italy. We have attractively priced cable replacements for Siemens and FANUC servo motors and more. Find out what other benefits this brings to our customers.

Is it advisable to use cheap unmanageable switches for a few crowns or is it worth paying extra and buying manageable switches? Should I save money on buying switches for the production line or should I buy a quality PROFINET switch?

A comprehensive range of replacement Plug&Play monitors for the most popular FANUC CNC series. Original order codes are supplemented with direct replacements for new monitors that can be delivered at short notice.

We offer replacement Plug&Play monitors for the most famous HEIDENHAIN CNC series. The table below shows the original ordering codes for the monitors and we have added direct replacements for the new monitors. We will ship most new monitors to you within 7 days.

If you are in charge of several PROFIBUS networks and want to check their quality from time to time or troubleshoot problems that have already occurred in a particular PROFIBUS network, the ProfiTrace2 tester is a great tool for you. You connect to the PROFIBUS network and measure signal qualities, voltages, communication errors, presence of interference, etc. When the measurement is complete, you create a report and disconnect again. The tester can be left connected to the PROFIBUS network for longer periods of time, but requires a laptop to which it is connected via the USB port.

If you operate a PROFIBUS line that is critical to you and an unplanned failure of the PROFIBUS network is not desirable, then get permanent diagnostics via the ComBricks solution. You connect the device to the DIN rail, connect it to the PROFIBUS network, without the need to assign an address or change the PLC program. From the first moment of connection, the tester measures the PROFIBUS network 24/7 and provides comprehensive overviews of the network quality in clear tools. It alerts you in time to the first undesirable event such as lost stations, lost packets, corrupted messages, voltage drops, interference, etc.

For Ewon routers, we recommend upgrading to the latest firmware version. Firmware updates are usually released to implement new features, improve security and usability, or fix bugs. There are several ways to upgrade the firmware and each is designed for a different situation.

ComBricks is a unique solution that features user-friendly remote monitoring of PROFIBUS networks and thus provides you with an overview of their health. As part of prevention, ComBricks will alert you by email if any of these problems occur on your PROFIBUS network – repeats, lost stations, slaves requesting diagnostics, etc. All problems are saved to the internal memory and can then be reviewed via a web browser.

ComBricks doesn't require any special software installations on your PC. You only need to type your ComBricks' IP address into a web browser.

Comparison of the features of individual versions of SIEMENS PROFINET switches of the SCALANCE X-200, X-300, XM-400 and XR-500 series.

PROFIBUS connectors are part and parcel of every network. Their quality and ease of installation are factors that contribute enormously to a healthy network. We're the only company offering special Canon PROFIBUS connectors with multi-angle cable outlet (the connector's cable outlet can be at 35° or 90° to the device's PROFIBUS port). These connectors allow you to set the cable outlet direction to meet your needs. Apart from that, they feature screw terminals, which means that A and B wires are screwed in using terminal blocks. We sell connectors with PG port for the same price as those without it. We're in favour of PG port as it enables PROFIBUS diagnostics. That's why we actively encourage our customers to buy connectors with this port.

Comprehensive range of replacement Plug&Play monitors for the most famous SIEMENS SINUMERIK CNC system series. Original ordering codes are supplemented with direct replacements for new monitors.

Save over 50% of the price and get replacements of original IO modules, power supplies and memory cards for SIMATIC S7-200/-300 control systems from SOFTLINK. They are electronically and mechanically fully compatible with SIEMENS and VIPA parts. In stock at FOXON in Liberec, immediately available for delivery.

OPC Router is a software program that allows you to connect various industrial devices and IT/OT systems to each other. All this is fast, automated and without programming knowledge. In addition, you can see all data flows in a clear visualization. For example, you can connect PLC control systems, OPC servers, printers, RFID readers, e-mail, databases, SAP R3 or SAP HANA, etc.

In stock in Liberec we have a large number of tested SIEMENS SIMODRIVE 611 series cards 6SN1118, 6SN1123 and 6SN1145. We offer all modules for sale or exchange for your non-functioning module. The cards have been tested under long term load for about 50hrs, are refurbished and fully functional. We also offer repairs of SIMODRIVE 611 cards, which are carried out in the foreign center of UnisGroup.

Do you want to know why your industrial communication is dropping out? Know where the errors are on the bus and fix them quickly? How the PROFIBUS network works and how to upgrade it and make it more robust? Learn all this in a training session full of practical examples

Do you know how the PROFINET industrial network works? Do you know how to find errors that can cause it to drop out? Do you regularly check the condition of the cabling and connectors? You can learn everything in a two-day training course full of practical examples.

Are you using Ewon Cosy or Flexy routers for remote access and wondering which Talk2M remote access service is right for you? We've put together some arguments to help you decide.

Ewon industrial routers are rightly one of the world's most widely used solutions for remote management of PLCs, robots, industrial computers and HMI panels over the Internet. Today, remote management alone is no longer enough and Ewon routers are the only ones to offer you much more. They can read (and write) data from remote PLC control systems from SIEMENS, Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi, Omron, Schneider, Modbus, etc.  They send this data over the Internet to your computer, where you save it in a database and display it in visualizations or Power BI reports. Find out more in our video guide.

The M2Web service enables mobile access to Ewon routers from any computer, tablet or smartphone via any web browser via the Talk2M cloud. In other words, this means that you don't need to install the eCatcher.exe software on your computer or phone.