ABB will use SPS 2026 in Nuremberg (24–26 November) to preview two products that attack the same machine-level problem from opposite ends: the PlutoFlex C28 safety controller, which puts 28 I/O in a 27.5 mm housing and uses DYNlink to cut safety I/O count, and the ACS380-E drive, which adds dual Ethernet, USB-C commissioning and cybersecurity features to a machinery drive designed to span 100–600 V. For packaging and conveyor builders, the pitch is smaller cabinets, fewer network option cards and less commissioning time. The caveat is that ABB has not yet published the C28’s price, availability or certification details, and the drive’s widest voltage range is a 2026 family target rather than a single catalogue variant.

Key takeaways

• ABB’s SPS 2026 preview centers on the PlutoFlex C28 safety controller and the ACS380-E machinery drive. The show runs 24–26 November 2026 at NürnbergMesse.
• The PlutoFlex C28 is described as a 27.5 mm wide safety controller with 28 I/O, DYNlink sensor connections, graphical programming and simulation testing. That is roughly 40% narrower than the 45 mm Pluto S20 housing, though the two are not drop-in equivalents.
• DYNlink is ABB’s dynamic sensor circuit. It puts multiple safety devices on one input and reports each device’s status; ABB says it can reduce required safe I/O by up to 50% versus traditional interfaces.
• The ACS380-E has dual Ethernet ports with selectable PROFINET IO, EtherNet/IP or Modbus TCP/IP, USB-C commissioning, secure boot and signed firmware. ABB aims it at packaging systems, conveyors, extrusion lines and multi-axis machinery.
• ABB’s July 2025 launch release said the ACS380-E would cover 100–600 V global voltage ranges from 2026. The current product page lists 200–480 V and up to 22 kW, so the exact variant and lead time still have to be confirmed per project.
• Neither product removes the compliance work. The EU Cyber Resilience Act reporting regime is already live, the Machinery Regulation applies from 20 January 2027, and the manufacturer still owns the declaration of conformity.

What ABB is showing at SPS 2026

SPS is the annual Nuremberg trade fair for smart production solutions, and it has become the place where automation vendors preview the hardware that will define the next machine-generation cycle. ABB’s pre-show briefing is narrower than a full portfolio launch: it puts one safety controller and one drive at the center of the machine-builder story.

The pairing is deliberate. A safety controller and a drive are both cabinet-space items, both are engineering-time items, and both now carry a data and cybersecurity lifecycle that outlasts the commissioning date. The interesting question is not whether either product is faster on paper. It is whether the pair lets a machine builder remove components, wiring and commissioning steps without creating a new integration problem.

PlutoFlex C28: safety control at cabinet-door scale

27.5 mm is the number that matters

A 27.5 mm wide controller is narrow enough to fit where a row of safety relays used to sit. The published Pluto S20 uses a 45 mm wide housing, and the larger Pluto S46 uses 90 mm. At 27.5 mm, the C28 is about 39% narrower than the S20 and less than a third of the S46 width. For a conveyor line with several safety zones, that difference compounds across the DIN rail: the controller can move closer to the devices it monitors instead of living in a central cabinet and pulling every circuit back to it.

The C28 also carries 28 I/O, which is more than the 20 I/O of a Pluto S20. The raw count is not directly comparable, because ABB has not published how many of the C28’s points are fail-safe inputs, fail-safe outputs or standard outputs. What can be said is that the density is high for the footprint, and that density only pays off if the I/O mix matches the machine. A controller with 28 points in 27.5 mm is useful for a compact safety island; it is not useful if half the points are the wrong type.

That table is a context check, not a migration map. The C28 is a new product, not a replacement for an S20 or an S46. Anyone designing it into an existing machine should ask for the safety certificate, the I/O configuration, the response time and the programming-tool compatibility before treating it as a one-for-one swap.

DYNlink: fewer inputs, more device status

DYNlink is ABB’s dynamic pulse-based sensor circuit. Instead of wiring every safety device as a separate two-channel input, DYNlink devices are connected in series on a single input, and the controller identifies each device and checks its status individually. ABB says the approach reduces required safe I/O by up to 50% compared with traditional interfaces. On a Pluto controller, up to 10 DYNlink sensors can share an input; on the Vital safety controller, the limit is 30.

The compatible device list is specific: Eden non-contact sensors with “DYN” in the name, Smile and Inca emergency stops with “Tina” in the name, and Magne electromagnetic process locks with “DYN” in the name. Conventional devices can be brought into the loop through Tina adapters. That is the practical trade-off. DYNlink saves inputs and cable, but it also ties the safety architecture to ABB’s sensor ecosystem. A mixed installed base needs an adapter list, a device-status map and a plan for what happens when a sensor is replaced with a non-DYNlink equivalent.

For a conveyor or packaging line, the benefit is not abstract. Guard-door switches, e-stops and light curtains are distributed along the line. If they can be daisy-chained on a few inputs, the cabinet shrinks, the home-run wiring shrinks, and the controller can report which device tripped rather than only that a zone is unsafe. That diagnostic detail is often worth more than the I/O saving, because it shortens fault finding on a line that is already stopped.

Graphical programming and simulation

ABB’s briefing adds two engineering features that the existing Pluto range does not advertise in the same way: graphical programming and simulation testing. The value is in the sequence, not the icon. A graphical environment lowers the barrier for engineers who are comfortable with function-block logic but not with a text-based safety language. Simulation lets the logic be exercised against a sequence of sensor states before the machine is powered, which is where commissioning time is usually lost.

The questions to ask are practical. Does the simulation model the actual device timing, or only the logic states? Can the program be exported, version-controlled and reviewed by a second engineer? Does the tool share a project format with Pluto Manager, or is it a separate environment? ABB has not published those details in the pre-show material, so they belong on the technical clarification list rather than in the datasheet.

ACS380-E: a drive that is also a network device

One drive family, fewer option cards

The ACS380-E is not a new name in ABB’s portfolio; it launched in July 2025 as the next generation of the ACS380 machinery drive. What makes it relevant to the SPS 2026 story is the combination of connectivity and voltage coverage. The drive has dual Ethernet ports as standard, with selectable PROFINET IO, EtherNet/IP or Modbus TCP/IP. That removes the separate fieldbus option module that older drive families often needed, and it removes the cabinet space and part number that went with it.

Commissioning is through USB-C or Ethernet, and firmware can be accessed over Ethernet. ABB’s Drive Composer 3 tool covers monitoring, adaptive programming and offline configuration. For a machine builder, the practical gain is a single drive family that can be configured before it ships, backed up as a project file, and diagnosed remotely without a proprietary adapter. That is a smaller bill of materials and a shorter commissioning checklist, not just a marketing line.

Cybersecurity is now part of the drive specification

ABB describes the ACS380-E as having “security level readiness”, secure boot and signed firmware, and says the design supports compliance with the 2027 Machinery Regulation. Those are meaningful features. Secure boot makes it harder to run unauthorized firmware; signed firmware gives the machine builder a way to verify what is installed; security-level readiness gives the OEM a starting point for the risk assessment.

They are not the same as a certified secure product. ABB’s product page does not claim IEC 62443 certification for the ACS380-E, and a drive cannot make a machine compliant on its own. The machine builder still needs network segmentation, an update policy, a vulnerability-handling process and a software bill of materials that covers the drive firmware and the components around it. The drive features reduce the attack surface; they do not transfer the manufacturer’s obligation.

100–600 V is a family target, not a stock SKU

ABB’s July 2025 launch release said the ACS380-E would support all common rotary motor types across global voltage ranges of 100–600 V from 2026, with initial availability up to 22 kW at 400 V. The current product page lists a 0.25–22 kW power range and a 200–480 V voltage range, with more voltage variants to follow. Both statements can be true at once: the family is being extended toward a 100–600 V envelope, while the catalogue today covers a narrower band.

That distinction matters at the quotation stage. A packaging line in North America, Europe or Asia may need different voltage classes, and the lead time for a 600 V variant is not the same as for a stocked 400 V rating. Specify the voltage class, the motor type and the required rating first, then confirm the variant and the delivery date. Do not design around a headline range that the local channel cannot yet supply.

Why the two products belong in the same conversation

A packaging line is a useful test case because it exposes both halves of the problem. The safety architecture has to cover guard doors, e-stops, light curtains and maybe a safe speed zone. The motion architecture has to run several conveyors, a fill or seal station and a discharge section, often at different speeds and with coordinated stops. In the old layout, the safety controller sits in a main cabinet, the drives sit in another, and a fieldbus option card bridges the drive network to the PLC.

The C28 and ACS380-E point to a different layout. The safety controller is small enough to sit near the line, with DYNlink devices daisy-chained along the machine. The drive has the network built in, so it can join the machine network without an option card. The cabinet gets smaller, the cable schedule gets shorter, and the data needed for diagnostics is available at the device rather than through an extra gateway.

The integration boundary still has to be respected. DYNlink is a safety circuit, not a general-purpose network. Ethernet on the drive is a control and diagnostics path, not a safety bus. The safety controller decides when the line is allowed to run; the drive decides how it runs. Neither product replaces the other, and neither replaces the risk assessment that defined the safety functions in the first place.

The compliance clock

Two European rules are shaping the machine-builder checklist, and they run on different timetables. The Cyber Resilience Act’s reporting obligations have applied since 11 September 2026. The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027 and adds protection against corruption to the essential health and safety requirements. The CRA’s full obligations apply from 11 December 2027.

A drive with secure boot and signed firmware helps with the third row. A safety controller with a documented certificate helps with the second. Neither closes the file on its own. The manufacturer placing the machine on the EU market declares conformity, and the technical documentation has to show how the safety and security risks were assessed together. For a deeper look at how the parts list becomes the compliance bottleneck, see our analysis of Rockwell’s SecureOT additions and the CRA asset record.

What this means for spares and the installed base

New products are specification choices for new machines, not a recall notice for the installed base. ABB’s field population still includes Pluto S20, S46, B20 and B46 controllers, ACS380, ACS580 and ACS880 drives, and PSTX softstarters. Those models remain in service, and the practical question is not whether they are “current” but whether the exact part number, firmware revision and option set can still be sourced when a line stops.

That is where the new product story meets the spare-parts story. A C28 or an ACS380-E changes the bill of materials for a new build; it does not answer what replaces a failed Pluto B46 on a machine commissioned five years ago. The answer comes from a recorded asset list: controller model, safety certificate, DYNlink device types, drive rating, voltage class, firmware version and network option cards. Without that list, a like-for-like replacement becomes a guessing game.

Our ABB catalogue covers controllers, I/O, drives and drive spares. For a current 30 kW drive in the same application class as the ACS380-E, the ABB ACS510-01-060A-4 is a useful reference point. For motor starting rather than variable speed, the PSTX1250-600-70 softstarter and the PSTB470-600-70 cover the higher-current end of the line.

Network and lifecycle items matter just as much. The FENA-11 Ethernet adapter is the kind of option card the ACS380-E’s embedded Ethernet is designed to replace on new builds, while CI871A PROFINET and CI873A EtherNet/IP modules remain relevant in AC 800M systems. The SD831 24 V DIN-rail power supply and the 3HAC032586-001 bleeder unit are the kind of small, hard-to-find parts that decide whether a drive cabinet can be restored quickly.

Safety architectures also mix vendors. If the C28 is not the right fit, the Allen-Bradley 1756-L81ES GuardLogix safety controller, the Honeywell FC-RUSIO-3224 remote safety I/O device and the SICK MICS3-CCAZ90LZ1P01 safety scanner show the alternatives in the same segment. The point is not brand preference; it is matching the safety function, the network and the spare-parts path to the machine’s actual lifecycle.

For more on the drive and network side, our guides to ABB CI871 storm control and the FENA-11 fieldbus kit for ACS880 cover the integration details that a headline specification leaves out. Our breakdown of the Siemens Sinamics G200 and G210 launch is a useful comparison for anyone tracking the same drive-generation transition at another vendor.

A specification checklist for OEMs

• I/O mix and safety rating. Ask for the fail-safe input, fail-safe output and standard output counts, the achievable PL/SIL, the response time and the certificate number. A 28-point controller is only useful if the points match the machine.
• DYNlink device list. Map every e-stop, door switch, light curtain and interlock to a DYNlink device or a Tina adapter. Confirm the maximum devices per input and the status reporting available to the controller.
• Programming and simulation scope. Confirm whether the simulation covers device timing and fault injection, whether the project can be exported and version-controlled, and whether the tool is licensed per seat or per machine.
• Drive voltage variant and lead time. Specify the voltage class and rating first, then confirm the catalogue variant. Do not assume the 100–600 V family target is stocked in every region.
• Cybersecurity package. Ask for the secure-boot and signed-firmware documentation, the update path, the support period and the SBOM format. A security-level claim without a maintenance process is a snapshot, not a lifecycle.
• Spare-parts path. Record the exact model, firmware, option cards and sensor types. Confirm which parts are stocked, which are build-to-order and which have a successor.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ABB PlutoFlex C28?

The PlutoFlex C28 is a compact safety controller that ABB is previewing for SPS 2026. ABB’s briefing describes 28 I/O in a 27.5 mm wide housing, DYNlink sensor connections, graphical programming and simulation testing. Price, availability, I/O split and certificate details have not been published.

How does DYNlink reduce safety I/O?

DYNlink is ABB’s dynamic sensor circuit. Multiple safety devices connect in series to one input, and the controller identifies each device’s status. ABB says this cuts required safe I/O by up to 50% versus traditional interfaces. On a Pluto controller, up to 10 DYNlink sensors can share an input; on the Vital safety controller, up to 30.

What is new in the ABB ACS380-E drive?

The ACS380-E is ABB’s next-generation machinery drive. It has dual Ethernet ports with selectable PROFINET IO, EtherNet/IP or Modbus TCP/IP, USB-C commissioning, secure boot, signed firmware and security-level readiness. ABB aims it at packaging systems, conveyors, extrusion lines and multi-axis machinery.

Does the ACS380-E really cover 100–600 V?

ABB’s July 2025 launch release said the drive would support all common rotary motor types across global voltage ranges of 100–600 V from 2026. The current product page lists 200–480 V and up to 22 kW, with more variants to follow. Treat 100–600 V as the family target and confirm the exact variant and lead time for the project.

When can I buy the PlutoFlex C28 and the ACS380-E?

The ACS380-E has been available since July 2025 in ratings up to 22 kW at 400 V, with additional ranges and options following. ABB has not published price or availability for the PlutoFlex C28 in its SPS 2026 preview; ask for a release date and the certificate package before designing it in.

Do existing Pluto controllers and ACS380 drives become obsolete?

No. ABB’s installed base includes Pluto S20, S46, B20 and B46 controllers and ACS380, ACS580 and ACS880 drives, and those models remain in service. New products change the specification for new machines; they do not automatically retire existing hardware. The practical risk is spares and firmware support, so record exact part numbers and revisions.

Sources

• ABB, “ABB launches next-gen machinery drive built for performance, connectivity and cybersecurity,” July 2025.
• ABB, ACS380-E drives product page and technical data, accessed 1 November 2026.
• ABB, DYNlink product page, accessed 1 November 2026.
• ABB, Pluto Safety PLC product page, accessed 1 November 2026.
• ABB, SPS 2026 pre-show briefing on the PlutoFlex C28, November 2026.
• SPS – Smart Production Solutions, Nuremberg, 24–26 November 2026.
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (Machinery Regulation), EUR-Lex.
• Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act), EUR-Lex.

Talk to us

If you are specifying a packaging or conveyor line around either product, the useful first step is a part-number and firmware list for the existing machine. We can check what is stocked, what has a successor and what has to be sourced as a like-for-like replacement. Start with our drives and motion control and controllers and CPUs sections, or send the model list through our contact page.

For the wider lifecycle picture, our analysis of why Bently Nevada still calls the 3500 fully supported is a reminder that “new” and “supported” are different questions. The same discipline applies to a safety controller or a drive: the specification decides what the machine can do, but the spare-parts record decides how long it can keep doing it.