In April, Jim Montague of Control Design wrote an interesting article on Machine Mount I/O entitled “Machine-Mount I/O Go Everywhere.” I think the article makes some very good points as to the value of why someone wants to move from inside an enclosure, or controls cabinet, to mounting I/O products directly on the machine.
He summarizes, with the help of a number of industry experts, the below points:
- Same or Better control performance out of IP67 products versus IP20 products.
- Installation time alone “is reduced by a factor of 5 to 10”
- Assemble more controls equipment faster with the same people & workspace
- Smaller & Simpler components take up less real-estate on the machine
- Smaller Controls cabinets are needed
- Less terminations required 2 versus “4 or more” for one connection
- standard & simple quick disconnect i/o and network cables
- IO-Link is being employed with intelligent sensors and devices to improve performance
- requires fewer conductors and simplified cabling with standard sensor cordsets
- allows you to get the same information out of your devices as standard control components
- is typically machine mount IP67 rated utilizing the standard M12 connector
As the need for automation equipment grows so will the need to make machines smaller, more intelligent, and with good control performance. Machine Mount I/O allows all of this to happen very simply.
Check out IP67 Machine Mount I/O products for industrial networks.
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Will Healy III
Will Healy III is enthusiastic about smart manufacturing & workforce development. A Purdue University mechanical engineer, Will loves to share his passion for automation as a leader with Balluff Worldwide & Cincinnati's Advanced Manufacturing Industry Partnership. He speaks from experience about creating value through workforce, IIoT, sensors & automation solutions.