Beckhoff PC-based Control Steers Photovoltaic Production

Beckhoff is exhibiting for the first time ever at the internationally-renowned European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) from September 5 to 8, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany. With PC-based control, Beckhoff offers a universal, consistent and high-performance control platform, with optimisation potential for the entire process of photovoltaic production: from the production of the wafer to that of the cell and the module. The PVSEC trade fair presentation of Beckhoff will focus on the new software generation TwinCAT 3 as well as scalable drive solutions, from the Servo Drive in a 12 mm terminal block to the highly dynamic EtherCAT drive.

“As an automation company we aim to encounter our partners from the mechanical engineering industry here,” says Andreas Schulze, Photovoltaic Branch Manager at Beckhoff. At the PVSEC, Beckhoff will present its range of solutions based on robust and high-performance Industrial PCs, fieldbus components, Drive Technology and TwinCAT automation software, as well as EtherCAT, the real-time Ethernet system and XFC (eXtreme Fast Control), the high-speed machine control solution.

Renewable energy markets and associated industries are presently among the biggest growth drivers and constitute around 15 % of the total turnover of Beckhoff – with an upward trend. “Due to its high speed and precision, Beckhoff XFC technology is optimally suited to the photovoltaic production process, which is based on a multiplicity of machine modules. For example, not only do the solar cells have to be transported very rapidly in a classification station, but at the same time the classification must take place locally and be system-synchronous,” explains Andreas Schulze.