Electricity and Control January 2020

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION : PRODUCT NEWS

IO-Link supports production efficiencies The digitalisation of production is a hot topic – but first, data from sensors needs to find its way to IT and cloud level as easily as possible. IO-Link standardised communication technology is the ideal basis because its various advantages – still unknown in many areas – allow for future-proof and cost-effective communication from the field to the cloud. Pepperl+Fuchs can support users with an integrated system solution ranging from sensors to IO- Link master and software tools. In modern machinery and on production lines, machine builders and plant operators need to know what is happening in terms of operating efficiencies and when and why problems occur, among other factors. This information is based on data supplied by sensors and actuators. Accessing this data easily, cost-effectively, and in a standardised way requires the appropriate communication technology. This is where IO-Link plays precisely to its strengths. The bidirectional, digital communication technology offers low integration costs, simple usability, and optimal harmonisation with industrial Ethernet. All the major sensor manufacturers have agreed on IO-Link and the intelligent communication interface standard and offer their products with it. Pepperl+Fuchs goes one step further. "We offer our customers the complete IO-Link infrastructure, so that the data can reach higher levels easily and cost- effectively," explains Dr Sebastiany, Director of the Systems business unit.

In addition to the sensors available fromPepperl+Fuchs, complete with IO-Link, its integrated IO-Link system solutions include IO-Link masters, Ethernet I/O modules, SmartBridge® interfaces, a number of necessary software tools, and other infrastructure components – all from a single source. The established IO-Link and Ethernet solutions from P+F-Comtrol now also make up part of the Pepperl+Fuchs portfolio. Bidirectional communication between the control level and the sensor/actuator level allows users to carry out extensive diagnostics and configure IO-Link devices during operation. "It doesn't matter whether you use a control panel on the machine or a smartphone to record the process values, diagnostic data and identification data provided by the sensor. IO-Link provides access across the entire plant structure," says Sebastiany. Pepperl+Fuchs offers the appropriate IO-Link master as well as IO-Link software tools for convenient diagnosis, monitoring, and parameterisation. This transparency down to the field level also lays the foundation for Industry 4.0 functionalities such as predictive maintenance. Pepperl+Fuchs can now provide its customers with a comprehensive range of solutions for end-to-end networking from the sensor to the cloud. For more information contact Cezanne Gonsior at Pepperl+Fuchs.Tel: +27 (0)10 430 0238 email: cgonsior@za.pepperl-fuchs.com