Beckhoff
Encyclopedia
| Beckhoff Automation GmbH | |
|---|---|
| Type of enterprise | GmbH (limited liability company) |
| Founded | 1980 in Verl Verl Verl is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 15 km south of Bielefeld and 10 km east of Gütersloh.... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
| Headquarters | Verl Verl Verl is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 15 km south of Bielefeld and 10 km east of Gütersloh.... , Westphalia Westphalia Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
| Subsidiaries | in 25 countries |
| Number of employees | 1950 (Mar. 2011) |
| Turnover | 346 Mio. EUR (2010) 236 Mio. EUR (2009) 278 Mio. EUR (2008) 232 Mio. EUR (2007) |
| Industry | Automation technology |
| Products | Industrial PCs Fieldbus components Automation software Drive technology |
| Other companies of the Beckhoff Group |
Elektro Beckhoff GmbH Beckhoff Technik und Design GmbH |
Beckhoff Automation GmbH is a medium-sized, internationally acting company located in Verl
Verl
Verl is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 15 km south of Bielefeld and 10 km east of Gütersloh....
, Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was established in 1980 as a business unit of the Elektro Beckhoff GmbH, an electrical installation and retail company which was founded in 1953 by Arnold Beckhoff Senior. Until 2005 the business unit “New Automation Technology” operated under the name Beckhoff Industrie Elektronik (Beckhoff Industrial Electronics).
In 2005 the company Elektro Beckhoff GmbH has been restructured into three companies:
- Beckhoff Automation GmbH
(PC-based automation technology) - Elektro Beckhoff GmbH
(Building services engineering) - Beckhoff Technik und Design GmbH
(Retail of high-end entertainment electronics, light systems, home appliances)
PC-based automation technology
The company Beckhoff Automation GmbH produces automation technology in different performance categories, from single components up to system solutions. The company focuses on PC-based control technology with the segments Industrial PCIndustrial PC
An Industrial PC is an x86 PC-based computing platform for industrial applications.- History :IBM released the 5531 Industrial Computer in 1984 , arguably the first 'industrial PC'. The IBM 7531, an industrial version of the IBM AT PC was released May 21, 1985. Industrial Computer Source first...
, Embedded PC, fieldbus components (bus terminals), drive technology and automation software. With EtherCAT
EtherCAT
EtherCAT - Ethernet for Control Automation Technology - is an open high performance Ethernet-based fieldbus system. The development goal of EtherCAT was to apply Ethernet to automation applications which require short data update times with low communication jitter and low hardware costs.-...
, launched in 2003, the company initiated a real-time Ethernet
Ethernet
Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
for system control.
Company data
In 2009 the company generated a turnover of 236 Million Euro, with an export share of 50 %. The actual number of employees amounts to 1950. The Headquarters in Verl is the location for all central departments. The domestic sales department is supplemented by subsidiaries all over Germany.On the international market, the company is represented by subsidiaries in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Through co-operation with partners, Beckhoff is represented in more than 60 countries.
Company history
- 1982: P1000 – single-board motion controller
- 1986: PC Control – first PC-based machine controller
- 1989: Lightbus – fieldbus utilising optical fiber
- 1990: All-in-one PC motherboard
- 1995: Bus terminal technology – fieldbus technology in terminal block format
- 1996: TwinCAT – real-time software package under Windows with PLC and Motion Control functions
- 1998: Control Panel – remote IPC Control Panels
- 2002: CX1000 – modular Embedded PCs for DIN rail mounting
- 2003: EtherCATEtherCATEtherCAT - Ethernet for Control Automation Technology - is an open high performance Ethernet-based fieldbus system. The development goal of EtherCAT was to apply Ethernet to automation applications which require short data update times with low communication jitter and low hardware costs.-...
– real-time Ethernet fieldbus system - 2005: TwinSAFE – safety solution for the Bus Terminal system
- 2005: AX5000 – EtherCAT Servo Drive
- 2007: Industrial Motherboards – Made in Westfalen
- 2008: XFC – eXtreme Fast Control Technology
- 2009: HD Bus Terminals - 16-channel terminals in 12 mm
Range of applications
Beckhoff products are used for the automationAutomation
Automation is the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human work in the production of goods and services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization...
of machines and plants as well as for building automation
Building automation
Building automation describes the functionality provided by the control system of a building. A building automation system is an example of a distributed control system...
. The company creates standard and customized solutions for diverse applications in industries like:
- Automatic Assembly Machines
- Automotive industryAutomotive industryThe automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
- Bio-Technology
- Energy Industry
- General Machine Building
- Medical engineering
- Packaging Machines
- Presses
- Process technology
- Semiconductor Manufacturing
- Test facilities
- Transportation and Logistics
- Water managementWater managementWater management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources. In an ideal world. water management planning has regard to all the competing demands for water and seeks to allocate water on an equitable basis to satisfy all uses and demands...
- Window Manufacturing Machines
- Woodworking Machines
- information technology
External Links
Beckhoff and TwinCAT Forums on LinkedIn