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Using IO-Link allows you to get as much data as possible from only three wires. IO-Link communicates four types of data: device data, event data, value status, and process data. Value status data and process data are constantly sent together at a known rate that is documented in each device’s manual and/or data sheet. Device …
Continue reading “Use IODD Files with IO-Link for Faster, Easier Parameterization”
In my last two blogs, Rise of the Robots: IO-Link… and Realize Productivity Gains with Smart Robotic Tooling , I shared how implementing IO-Link and incorporating pneumatic and electric smart grippers can help maximize your use of robotics in your applications. In this blog, I will discuss how you can get more from your robots …
Continue reading “IO-Link Simplifies Connectivity on Robotic End-Effectors”
In my previous blog, Using Data to Drive Plant Productivity, I categorized reasons for downtime in the plant and also discussed how data from devices and sensors could be useful in boosting productivity on the plant floor. In this blog, I will focus on where this data is and how to access it. I also …
Continue reading “IO-Link Boosts Plant Productivity”
Manufacturers around the world are buying industrial robots at an incredible pace. In the April 2020 report from Tractia & Statista, “the global market for robots is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 26 percent to reach just under 210 billion US dollars by 2025.” But are we gaining …
Continue reading “Rise of the Robots: IO-Link Maximizes Utilization, Saves Time and Money”
Everyone working in the mobility industry knows that the tire manufacturing process is divided up into five areas throughout a large manufacturing plant. Mixing Tire prep Tire build Curing and molds Final inspection Naturally, conveyors, material handling, and AGV processes throughout the whole plant. All of these areas have opportunities for IO-Link components, and there …
Continue reading “Tire Manufacturing – IO-Link is on a Roll”
IO-Link data packets contain parameter data of an IO-Link slave device that is acyclic and is only transferred when read or write is requested by the machine controller. Having parameter data available on a device is not new or groundbreaking; however, the main advantage of IO-Link parameter data is that it is directly accessible by …
Continue reading “How to Take Advantage of IO-Link Parameter Data”
Parameters are the key to maximizing performance and stretching sensor functionality on machines through IO-Link. They are typically addressed during set up and then often underutilized because they are misunderstood. Even users familiar with IO-Link parameters often don’t know the best method for adjustment in their systems and how to benefit from using them. Using …
Continue reading “IO-Link Parameterization Maximizes Functionality, Reduces Expenses”
With almost twelve million installed nodes as of 2019, IO-Link is being rapidly adopted in a wide range of industries and applications. It is no wonder since it provides more flexibility in how we build and maintain our machines and delivers more data. Design As an IEC standard (IEC 61131-9), IO-Link provides consistency in how …
Continue reading “From Design and Build, to Operation and Maintenance, IO-Link Adds Flexibility”
Manufacturers have been using industrial Ethernet protocols as their controls network since the early 1990s. Industrial Ethernet protocols such as Ethernet/IP, ProfiNet, and Modbus TCP were preferred over fieldbus protocols because they offered the benefits of higher bandwidth, open connectivity and standardization, all while using the same Ethernet hardware as the office IT network. Being …
Continue reading “Reduce the Number of Ethernet Nodes on Your Network Using IO-Link”
Though error-proofing sensors and poka yoke have been around for decades, continuing advancements related to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are making both more accessible and easier to maintain. Designed to eliminate product defects by preventing human errors or correcting them in real time, poka yoke has been a key to a lean manufacturing …
Continue reading “Improve Error Proofing with IO-Link and IoT-Enabled Sensors”
