TURCK consolidates cabinet monitoring into an 18 mm module

Nathan Brooks

The IM18-CCM45 occupies 18 mm of DIN-rail width while combining temperature, humidity and cabinet-door distance measurement in one enclosure with direct multiprotocol Ethernet connectivity.

TURCK Australia and New Zealand is expanding its condition-monitoring portfolio with the device, which it describes as a control-cabinet guard for mechanical engineering, plant engineering and intralogistics, among other fields.

What does the module measure?

The IM18-CCM45 measures three cabinet variables:

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Distance to the control-cabinet door

The device transmits those values directly and cyclically to PLCs and IT systems through three supported Ethernet protocols:

• PROFINET
• EtherNet/IP
• Modbus TCP

Compared with systems assembled from discrete sensors or complex Linux-based monitoring installations with added remote I/O modules, the IM18-CCM45 consolidates sensing and communications. TURCK says that architecture reduces the need for separate hardware, wiring, configuration and engineering when connecting the cabinet to its control system.

David Coghlan, Head of Technology and Product for TURCK Australia & New Zealand, said: "Until now, condition monitoring systems have typically involved multiple components, which require more wiring, configuration and engineering. The IM18-CCM45 reduces complexity by bringing the sensors into a single device, so there’s less hardware to install and less work involved in getting it connected."

He added: "Rather than relying on someone to physically check the cabinet or installing separate sensors and hardware to collect the readings, it continuously monitors what’s happening automatically."

How does the module fit into existing cabinets?

TURCK says the 18 mm width allows the IM18-CCM45 to fit on a DIN rail and supports retrofit work where cabinet space is limited. Coghlan described that footprint as a way to modernize existing machinery without requiring major modifications to the cabinet.

The module targets new installations and retrofits in mechanical engineering, plant engineering and intralogistics. It also serves OEMs and machine builders that require condition monitoring without adding a separate edge system, replacing individual sensors and remote I/O modules.

Coghlan characterized the result as making existing machinery smarter without making the control system more complicated. That benefit remains a vendor claim until buyers compare the module with the sensors, acquisition hardware and maintenance routines already in service.

How are configuration and maintenance handled?

TURCK provides several functions within the compact device:

• Configuration, diagnostics and firmware updates through TURCK Automation Suite (TAS) and an integrated web server.
• Straightforward setup and maintenance through those routes, with no additional software required.
• An integrated RS485 interface for future expansion.
• Stated Zone 2 IECEx and ATEX certification for use in certain hazardous environments.

Zone 2 is an explosive-atmosphere area classification; IECEx and ATEX are the conformity regimes named in TURCK’s approval claim. The announcement gives no certificate numbers, gas groups, temperature classes or ambient limits. Site engineers must match the actual approvals to the classified installation before treating the device as compliant.

What performance can buyers verify?

TURCK says continuous cabinet monitoring improves visibility of enclosure conditions and enables predictive maintenance, which the company links to fewer unplanned outages. The announcement does not provide independent measurements or cited test conditions.

It also states no accuracy class, measurement ranges, resolution, sampling rate or calibration interval. The statement that the device transmits cyclically confirms recurring updates but does not specify their frequency. Buyers therefore cannot compare the module’s measured performance with discrete sensors from this announcement.

For cabinet-health applications, the three values describe the enclosure around the control system rather than the process being controlled. That distinction supports condition monitoring and predictive-maintenance use, but it does not establish the accuracy of any measurement channel.

What should buyers verify before adoption?

A buyer should check the 18 mm space requirement, protocol compatibility with the installed PLC or IT system, and whether TAS and the web server fit the maintenance workflow. Hazardous-area users also need the applicable certificate and environmental limits. Prospective users should obtain the missing accuracy, range, resolution and timing data before comparing cost with separate sensors.

Can a prospective user document both the metrological performance and hazardous-area compliance before placing the module into service?