RS PRO Control Panel Products Improve Automation Efficiency

­RS, a trading brand of RS Group plc offers an extensive selection of RS PRO brand control panel products ideally suited for improving automation efficiency and overcoming common challenges in applications extending throughout the industrial market. 

Companies in the energy, utilities, and process manufacturing industries are under immense pressure to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability and deliver value in the face of market challenges ranging from supply chain disruptions, rising energy costs, and inflation to skilled labor shortages, unplanned downtime, and the persistent need to continually enhance customer and employee experiences to better retain both. As such, many of these companies have already adopted automation technologies engineered to maximize the effects of their tools and resources and, in turn, improve quality, safety, compliance, efficiency, productivity, profitability, and employee satisfaction and performance. 

But achieving these results isn’t as simple as installing a few automation technologies, like robots programmed to perform specific tasks. For optimal results, you’ve got to supercharge the efficiency of your automated systems by leveraging real-time performance data collected from connected machinery and solutions — including remote monitoring and control devices capable of identifying potential issues before they result in unplanned downtime, equipment damage, and safety hazards — and immediately adjusting automated processes based on those inputs and programmed responses. Integrating machine learning algorithms engineered to learn, adapt, and make decisions based on system performance data can further improve automation efficiency, achieve even higher levels of productivity and profitability, and make it even easier to overcome common industrial market challenges. 

And while smart sensors and remote control and monitoring solutions are currently much more prevalent than cutting-edge AI solutions, the efficacy of both ultimately comes down to your control panels. Complex control panels often lead to inefficient production runs and hidden maintenance costs that can chip away at your bottom line. 

That’s where RS PRO comes in. Our RS PRO brand industrial automation solutions make integrating new equipment a breeze, and our proven-reliable power and data products help minimize downtime and keep your production lines running smoothly. In addition, all RS PRO products are meticulously designed to meet the needs of today’s industrial automation engineers and deliver an attractive combination of quality, choice, and value. 

The RS PRO portfolio features more than 80,000 products across 1,500 technologies to satisfy the needs of virtually every industrial application and working environment and provide competitive savings compared to branded alternatives. These field-proven, industrial-grade products can also be combined into integrated solutions to further simplify customers’ sourcing and purchasing processes and are backed by the RS PRO Seal of Approval, which is only awarded after a rigorous testing, inspection, and auditing process based on demanding international standards. Further, most are covered by a three-year warranty. 

RS PRO control panel products ideally suited for improving automation efficiency and overcoming common challenges in industrial manufacturing, energy, utilities, and process manufacturing applications include more than: 

• 1,000 test and measurement products that allow users to simulate input signals in the system or device under test for troubleshooting or validation purposes (e.g., to trace faults or verify safe and effective performance), ranging from test equipment accessories, meters, testers, thermometers, oscilloscopes, and inspection scopes to signal generators, data loggers and acquisition systems, thermal imagers, calibrators, and analyzers. 
   
• 850 power supplies essential for converting electric current from a source into the voltage, current, and frequency needed to power an electrical load.
   
• 690 warning and status indicators that visually communicate performance data and changes, such as severity levels and signal validation feedback, so employees can quickly and easily verify proper operation and identify and respond when intervention is required. 
   
• 300 proximity sensors that detect the presence of nearby objects without making contact and, as such, are ideal for detecting delicate and unstable targets. 
   
• 290 tool kits and storage solutions necessary for installing and maintaining control panel solutions and organizing tools. 
   
• 100 DIN-rail terminal blocks used to securely connect electrical wires and cables for power distribution, signal routing, and control wiring and designed to mount directly to equipment racks. 
   
• 80 limit switches that physically detect the presence or movement of an object and emit an electrical signal based on that input to turn machinery on or off, act as a safety interlock, count objects, or define an object’s travel limit (e.g., to prevent collisions). 
   
• 20 energy meters used to measure and record the amount of electricity consumed by equipment or buildings over time and, when equipped with IoT connectivity, gather real-time data about energy usage as well, which allows users to identify inefficiencies and quantify the impact of energy-saving strategies. 
   
• 10 inverter drives, also known as AC drives, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and variable speed drives (VSDs), designed to control the speed, torque, and direction of electric motors by regulating power supply voltage and frequency.
   
• 15 emergency stop pushbutton switches, also known as kill switches, used to quickly shut off machinery by breaking the control circuit to reduce the risk of personal injury and equipment or product damage. 

“The depth and breadth of the RS PRO product portfolio, combined with its more than 15,000 in-stock and ready-to-ship solutions and a growing selection of sustainable solutions, provides industrial customers with the most comprehensive collection of high-quality, cost-effective, and user-friendly industrial-grade solutions engineered to optimize processes and overcome challenges,” said Jody Kemp, RS Vice President of Supplier and Sales Engagement – Americas. “Our selection of control panel products is especially well suited for improving automation efficiency and, in turn, productivity, accuracy, safety, quality, and value, which is invaluable in challenging economic times. These products also help alleviate the impact of skilled labor shortages and reduce employee burnout, which is useful for successfully navigating an unreliable labor market.” 

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