IO-Link in Operation

One of the most important operating criteria is equipment availability. This is increased by the maximum transparency using IO-Link right down to the sensor/actuator level, greatly raising the degree of efficiency of a machine.

The machine is running and the deadline for shipping the finished products has also been set. Now the last thing you need is a machine failure, especially due to a dirty sensor or safety light barrier. Here is where IO-Link comes into the game, because this new technology has diagnostics mechanisms built right into it. You are warned before a safety light barrier becomes completely obscured, and you can make it more sensitive while the machine is running so as not to compromise production for the all-important customer. This guarantees greater equipment up-time and better utilization of the machine.

Application example: Tire production with automatic parameter setting using IO-Link

If the color sensor reports a defect during production, it can be easily replaced. The new color sensor gets its parameters from the PLC or a data server while the machine is still running.

previously	with IO-Link
Machine produces and then stops suddenly >-> Reason: Color sensor totally contaminated Changing tire color for example currently means stopping the machine, since the color sensor cannot be reprogrammed during run time Color sensor fails during production and has to be replaced --> Parameter setting of the sensor in situ and while machine is stopped	Machine produces and reports color sensor contaminated --> Automatic re-parameterizing based on degree of contamination and diagnostics message Re-parameterizing of the color sensor (e.g. for new tire color) possible while running --> Reduction in downtime Simple error handling without re-parameterizing, since the PLC has the parameter settings stored