All-round carefree package: a robust and well-thought-out solution that for the first time made electrical installation directly in the field a real alternative.

Why make things complicated and expensive when it can be done much easier and faster? This is the question that decision-makers are increasingly asking themselves when planning new automation concepts or retrofitting existing ones. And instead of laborious, time-consuming and error-prone point-to-point wiring in the control cabinet, they are turning to the future of automation: decentralised solutions.

Murrelektronik: Forerunner in decentralised automation

This fundamental change in industrial automation is closely linked to one company: Like no other company, Murrelektronik has dedicated itself to decentralised electrical installation technology. And this has been the case since the beginning of the 1990s: With the revolutionary fieldbus module MBV (Murrelektronik Bus Verteiler, in English: Murrelektronik Bus Distributor), the company presented a robust and well-thought-out solution that for the first time made electrical installation directly in the field a real alternative.

Inspired by this idea and supported by the groundbreaking technological breakthroughs of the last 15 years, such as sensor integration, vision sensor technology or servo motor technology with decentralised motion control, the Murrelektronik team has continued to develop this idea and think bigger.

Today, the company offers a comprehensive range of robust and pluggable solutions for bringing signals, data and power close to the process, making decentralised installation technology and its significant advantages accessible to an increasing number of application areas worldwide.

Murrelektronik is a leader in the field of heavy-duty, pre-assembled IP67 connection and extension cables and offers an almost infinite variety of its own products. The product range includes connectors that comply with all internationally recognised standards, I/O systems, power supplies and network solutions, up to the fast and easy installable, modular complete solution for cabinet-free automation, called Vario-X. With this holistic overall solution, the company, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, seamlessly integrates all peripherals, from sensors and actors to the cloud, regardless of manufacturer.

Seamlessly into the future

During this long period, the Murrelektronik team has gained a wealth of experience and successfully implemented a large number of applications worldwide using decentralised electrical installation technology. Murrelektronik works together with powerful partners in the fields of industrial image processing, clamping and gripping technology, robotics, drive technology, simulation software and sensor technology to find the best and most efficient solution for its customers.

The company's entire decentralisation experience and technical openness is evident in Vario-X. Here, customers have a system that is open to future challenges or expansions and is independent of all electrical installation interfaces. Thanks to the plug and play principle with pre-assembled, pluggable connection and interconnection cables, the effort required for electrical installation is reduced by 30 percent. All with factory-tested quality and CE certification.

This forward-thinking approach has clear benefits – but it is completely new to many customers. That is why the company offers comprehensive and intensive support: from application consulting to industry-specific software libraries and programming services to digital twins.

The term ‘seamlessness’ has already been mentioned twice. As introduced earlier, all interfaces of the electrical installation are kept open, and the modular design makes it easy to add or replace components without long downtimes – today and in the future.

But the idea of seamlessness goes much further: the only thing that matters is the particular application – and what is technically optimal to implement it as simply, seamlessly, and cost-effectively as possible. In order to find this out in co-creation with the customer, Murrelektronik has experienced application experts available around the globe, who bring the entire knowledge from decades of intensive application consulting for a wide range of industries to the projects.

Murrelektronik has made a conscious decision not to develop the sensors and actuators itself, but to keep its solutions open so that the products of all partners can be integrated easily and seamlessly. The result is a customised, decentralised concept based on the ideal automation components for each application.

Murrelektronik's experience shows that detailed application consulting clearly demonstrates the advantages of switching to decentralised electrical installation technology – but also makes many customers aware of the steps involved in this new approach. Common questions include: How much work is involved in integrating new technologies or adapting existing system designs?

This is why the company has added another key element to its range of services: the digital twin, which allows the plant to be digitally converted using CAD models and the machine or plant to be virtually tested and optimised before commissioning.

This enables seamless development from the initial idea to the production plant – quickly, efficiently and without errors. What's more, once created, the digital twin can be expanded and used throughout the machine or plant's lifecycle – for example, for user training, remote service calls, or condition monitoring applications.

Not only without cabinets, but also without compressed air

Speaking about efficiency and zero errors: Murrelektronik has long been convinced that the future of automation is not only without cabinets, but also without compressed air. When it comes to efficiency, electric drives are way ahead. This has been proven by a study certified by TÜV Nord, in which the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) at the RWTH Aachen University, on the initiative of Murrelektronik, compared the life cycle assessment of pneumatic and electrical clamping systems. The result: In 14 of the 17 categories examined, the electric clamping systems resulted in significant savings. Overall, switching to this future-oriented technology can reduce CO2 emissions by around 60 percent.

Using electric grippers with Vario-X also significantly increases productivity. The teach-in process and fast setup loading at the touch of a button reduce changeover times considerably. A customer example: While it takes several minutes to teach and set up pneumatic grippers, it takes less than 30 seconds to set up electric grippers. In addition, the lower failure rate and the ability to perform predictive maintenance lead to higher system availability and reduced downtime. Furthermore, quality is improved because the gripper technology also functions as a sensor and performs a quality check on the component as it is gripped.

These are further major advantages for customers who choose the safe path to decentralisation and the all-electric factory with Murrelektronik and its partners.

Plug and play for software as well

No control cabinets, no compressed air – a lot to get used to for experienced automation engineers who are often used to wiring point-to-point in the control cabinet and connecting pneumatic valves for many years.

The increasingly difficult task of finding qualified programmers for PLCs, visualisation systems, and IIoT communications can also be a stumbling block. That is why the company offers customised support so that machine and plant builders can concentrate on their core business.

The offer ranges from comprehensive industry-specific software libraries for areas such as intralogistics, packaging, automotive, machine tools or new energy in three different levels – from simple users to experts with extensive programming experience – to a comprehensive, customised programming service for applications of all kinds. At Murrelektronik, plug and play not only applies to the hardware, but also to the software.

To make the new path to a more efficient and sustainable future as easy as possible for its customers and their teams, Murrelektronik has also developed uKonn-X in its newly established Global Business Unit ‘Digital Solutions’ over the past two years.

uKonn-X stands for ‘you connect anything’ – and this name says it all: like a guide, the digital system leads the user step by step through even complex installations or commissioning in an easy-to-understand manner.

In doing so, Murrelektronik uses a source that is already available on electrical components or assemblies: the user scans the printed, machine-readable code on the component using a handheld scanner or mobile phone – and the system links this information to the electrical and mechanical data of the machine or system.

Using the available customer data and information, uKonn-X links the electrical schematic to a virtual 2D or 3D model – and guides the user safely through it. Just like a navigation system in a car or on a smartphone, the user receives clear visual instructions for each individual installation step – and the system warns the user, just like a navigation system, if they have taken a ‘wrong turn’, for example, when they have accidentally selected the wrong installation location.

In concrete terms, this means that uKonn-X shows the user which components he has to connect in the next step on the scanned circuit diagram as well as on the 2D or 3D model of the machine. The system can easily map job-specific installation sequences. At the same time, illuminated status LEDs on the corresponding field bus modules in the machine indicate the correct slot.

Once a step has been successfully completed, the user confirms this in the system – and uKonn-X automatically writes a complete technical documentation of the real installation in the background.

Conclusion: A well-thought-out and comprehensive package

There is a lot behind Murrelektronik's promise that the path to decentralised automation and the all-electric factory is secure thanks to the well-thought-out, seamless and comprehensive all-round carefree package from Murrelektronik and its high-performance partners.

Making industrial automation as simple, seamless and cost-efficient as possible with smart solutions: Murrelektronik is the forerunner in decentralised electrical automation technology and has become, based on this DNA, the leading company in this field. Murrelektronik's solutions bring signals, data and power close to the process, eliminating the need for control cabinets.

The company has continued to expand its portfolio and covers a wide range – from connectors to I/O systems, power supplies and network technology up to the fast and easy installable,modular complete solution for cabinet-free automation, called Vario-X. As part of the plug and play mindset, Murrelektronik also offers holistic digital services supporting installation, commissioning and maintenance.