Cabinet-Free Automation Systems for Aquaculture and Fish Farming

Beckhoff UK is exhibiting its expanded portfolio of industrial control technologies at the Aquaculture UK 2026 trade fair, held at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow from June 16 to 17. The showcased hardware targets equipment builders developing scalable automation solutions for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and processing applications.

The MX-System Architecture
The exhibition highlights the MX-System, a modular automation platform designed to replace traditional electrical control cabinets. The hardware integrates industrial PCs (IPCs), input/output (I/O) modules, drive technology, and system components into a unified baseplate that mounts directly onto the machine frame. This configuration reduces panel assembly time and supports hygienic machine designs suited for the wet and corrosive environments typical of fish farming facilities.

Operational Impact and Environmental Adaptation
The transition to cabinet-free automation addresses the spatial and environmental constraints of modern aquaculture infrastructure by eliminating bulky enclosures. Neil March, Product Specialist for the MX-System at Beckhoff UK, explained the operational rationale behind deploying the hardware in these specific sectors: “The wet, corrosive and often remote environments are demanding, and that makes the case for cabinet-free automation even stronger.”

Additional Context: This section details technical specifications and competitive benchmarking not included in the original product announcement
In the industrial automation sector, the shift from centralized control cabinets to decentralized, machine-mounted systems aims to reduce cabling complexity, thermal load, and spatial footprint. The Beckhoff MX-System competes directly with decentralized drive and I/O architectures from suppliers like Bosch Rexroth (ctrlX series) and Siemens (SIMATIC ET 200). By utilizing an aluminum baseplate with integrated data and power routing, the MX-System eliminates the need for individual cable glands, DIN rails, and internal wire routing. The resulting modules provide a fully enclosed, waterproof, and dustproof (IP67) control unit that can withstand high-pressure washdowns directly on the factory floor—a critical regulatory and operational requirement in food processing and aquaculture environments.

Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.beckhoff.com