Pilz Creates a Digital Showroom to Virtually Experience Automation and Promote New Components for Machine Safety

Trade shows have suffered from the pandemic and restrictions. The value of seeing new products and ideas on display benefits all industries, and innovation has suffered without these opportunities. Pilz has filled this void by creating a virtual fair to display automation systems and allow vendors to show off their new products.

 

Pilz and a New Digital Showroom

Pilz has specialized in improving automation safety since 1948. Their product line includes emergency stop systems, controllers, switches, sensors, and relays that prevent mechanical injuries.

The digital showroom allows industry representatives to explore different products offered by Pilz. The products are displayed with 360-degree views, introduction and application videos, and specifications sheets.

 

A screenshot of the Digital Showroom featuring a controller and a video. Image used courtesy of Pilz

 

The Digital Showroom has some unique features that are different from a traditional trade show. First, the digital showroom is always available online versus occurring at a specified, short time, which may not mesh with the particular company’s schedule.

Second, there is no chance of high-pressure sales and no pressure to ask all questions at once to see if a certain product is a good fit. Instead, the engineer can casually browse new products, think about their applications, then ask follow-up questions as needed. They are afforded the time to consider products deeply. Third, the Digital Showroom is constantly updated, versus waiting for the next trade show to release new products. Products are available for demonstration as soon as they hit the market.

 

A Sample of Products on Display

Pilz focuses on safety in automation, so it is no surprise that their Digital Showroom is full of products that protect workers from injury. Products such as the PSENmech are mechanical guard systems that protect workers from entering cutting, milling, and grinding areas.

The PSEN Radar system can be used to monitor machine-rich areas of the shop floor to ensure that there are no workers present in the range of motion of the machines.

Aside from keeping machines secure, Pilz also creates networking hardware to keep equipment and data secure. The Firewall SecurityBridge is one product that increases network security and limits the threat of a cyber attack.

They also make a host of servo signal amplifiers for control of servo motors, used for braking systems and other applications in robotics. The PMC SI6, for example, is a 4-axis servo controller that can be interfaced by Ethernet that has seen wide use in manufacturing.

 

The PMC SI6 servo amplifier. Image used courtesy of Pilz

 

The Digital Showroom offers engineers and plant managers the opportunity to casually browse new products, particularly in the safety automation field. The virtual experience allows users time to ensure that a product is a good fit for their facility and start thinking about integrating it into existing systems.