As part of its effort to help customers increase productivity and reduce costs within industrial plants and manufacturing facilities, Mitsubishi Electric Automation has created the e-F@ctory Alliance Program. This “third-party referencing program” allows MEAU customers to find and purchase automation hardware and software that best solves their automation challenges—whether from it’s from MEAU or a third-party vendor.
“In addition to its own factory automation products and technologies, Mitsubishi Electric Automation now offers connections to complementary products designed to increase productivity, from the simple device level to the business-system level,” said Robert Miller, senior manager, strategic collaborations and partnerships, for Mitsubishi Electric Automation. “Third-party vendor solutions are thoroughly tested with Mitsubishi Electric products, ensuring compatibility and ease of implementation.”
Complete documentation, including quick start guides, sample programs and maintenance screens when required, will be available for each product, reducing the time necessary to implement and maintain these solutions, Miller said.
The following nine vendors are inaugural members of the e-F@ctory Alliance Program: Balluff, CC-Link Partner Association, COGNEX, LEM, MDT Software, eWON, Kepware Technologies, Ocean Data Systems - Dream Report, and Powerit Solutions. Information on their products can be found below and in the e-F@ctory Alliance Program webpage.
Mitsubishi Electric Automation and the company’s Alliance vendors work together to help customers reduce total cost of ownership. This occurs through pre-engineered integration, making the latest technologies easier to use and more cost effective.
“With the e-F@ctory Alliance Program, we’re helping our customers increase productivity to gain an edge in their fiercely competitive markets,” Miller added. “They can implement the latest technology quickly and efficiently.” Customers also gain tested connectivity “from the sensor level to the business intelligence level,” intuitive maintenance screens, and backup and restore capabilities, he said.
Alliance vendors gain access to Mitsubishi Electric-specific protocols and development hardware, joint sales and marketing opportunities, and worldwide exposure through Mitsubishi Electric marketing signage, websites, advertising and trade shows.
More on e-F@ctory Alliance Program vendors and their products
Balluff knows industrial automation: sensors, machine vision, industrial RFID, and distributed I/O. With over 50 years of sensor experience, Balluff is a world leader and one of the most efficient manufacturers of sensor technology, with the North American headquarters located in Florence, Ky.
CC-Link, is the leading open network in Japan and Asia, and integrating CC-Link technology into your product can open new doors into these markets. CC-Link offers a comprehensive open network architecture that reaches from enterprise IT connectivity to simple digital I/O on the shop floor. It is also the only open gigabit Ethernet technology for automation today, linking both controller and field devices throughout a plant.
Cognex Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and markets machine vision and industrial ID systems Cognex products are used around the world for a wide range of inspection, identification and guidance applications throughout the manufacturing and distribution process.
Dream Report is a technology for all types of automated reporting from process to hybrid, batch and discrete applications. It is designed to be programming-free and is built on modern technologies,
eWON Inc. in Pittsburgh, Pa. offers the eWON 4000, a PLC remote access gateway based on Internet communication and Talk2M, a web-based remote access platform. From a solution based on a single server in 2007, Talk2M has evolved into a scalable multiple-server architecture able to handle thousands of secure connections simultaneously.
Kepware's connectivity software helps thousands of businesses improve operations and decision making. The company serves a wide range of customers including Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Building Automation, Power Distribution, and more.
LEM provides innovative and high quality solutions for measuring electrical parameters. Its core products—current and voltage transducers—are used in a broad range of applications in industrial, traction, energy and automotive markets.
MDT AutoSave is an enterprise source management solution to protect, save, restore, discover and track changes in industrial programmable devices and documents. It is reportedly the automation industry's most advanced version control software with the largest installed base.
Powerit's advanced demand management software lets industrial facilities and other energy-intensive businesses effortlessly reduce electricity costs and meet corporate sustainability goals. It’s technology lets manufacturing plants control peak demand and participate profitably in smart grid programs, without diminishing product quality or output.
Headquartered in Vernon Hills, Ill., Mitsubishi Electric Automation is a U.S. affiliate company of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. that offers a wide range of factory automation products, solutions, training and support services.
