Schmalz Introduces Mini Compact Terminals for Tight Spaces
Schmalz has released mini compact terminals designed to tackle critical space needs and reduce cycle times while keeping installation simple.
Schmalz, a company that provides industrial solutions in vacuum technology, has announced the addition of its new SCTMi mini compact terminals. The new terminals are scaled down to a "mini" size to address the challenge of limited space and make installation easier.
The SCTMi terminals are two-thirds of the weight and take up half the footprint as their bigger offerings. Image used courtesy of Schmalz
SCTMi Mini Compact Terminals
Schmalz's new SCTMi mini compact terminals are suitable for vacuum generator applications where space is at a premium. The SCTMi terminals offer users a flexible, lightweight, compact, and scalable vacuum solution.
Compared to their bigger predecessor, the SCTMi terminals are two-thirds of the weight and take up half the footprint. The SCTMi terminals' reduction in weight and size makes them suitable for direct placement on moving axes or grippers.
Modular Flexibility
The new compact terminals can control two to 16 separate vacuum circuits—unused spaces can be sealed by blind plugs. Schmalz's SCTMi terminals also cater to operational requirement changes as they offer an easy, flexible, and quick replacement or addition to ejector disks. The SCTMi's ejector disks are based on Schmalz's SCPM compact ejectors and are available with nozzle sizes that range from 0.3 to 1.2 mm.
When it comes to installation, the pneumatic and electrical control connections are positioned on one level to simplify mounting and expansion. With these modular features, it is possible to have 16 separate vacuum circuits and an installation time of just four hours.
Schmalz’s ControlRoom app can be used to help maintain the SCTMi terminals. Image used courtesy of Schmalz
Ease of Maintenance
Maintenance of any equipment or device is essential to ensuring its longevity—without proper maintenance and servicing strategies, the lifespan of a device is shortened.
In this case, to ensure the maintenance of the SCTMi compact mini terminals, Schmalz has integrated the terminals with a ControlRoom app that uses NFC functionality to access the device during the maintenance procedure. For efficient troubleshooting of the terminals, the app can easily provide useful information on faults by describing them and even suggesting the measures that can be taken to mitigate them.
In the Pipeline
By the end of 2023, Schmalz has promised to include a new feature in the SCTMi mini compact terminals: an IO-link communication interface. Schmalz also anticipates that by the first half of 2024, Ethernet variants of the SCTMi mini terminals will be available to enable Ethernet connectivity. Other variants of the SCTMi terminals that are designed for a variety of vacuum circuits with a central, external vacuum generator are also in the pipeline for 2024.
