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Automation Technologies 1/2016

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Automation Technologies 1/2016

Industry 4.0 and

Industry 4.0 and IO-Link, spicing up the Turkish automation market SENSORS AND MEASUREMENT The more talk there is about Industry 4.0, the more IO-Link is also becoming a hot topic. With the right concept, intelligent IO-Link devices combine cost efficiency with flexibility. At the WIN Eurasia fair in Istanbul, Turkey, Turck the IO-link specialist presents the devices featuring the communication interface: the inductive proximity switch, the contactless encoder and the laser distance sensor. Interest in IO-Link has been gathering pace considerably in the wake of Industry 4.0. While there has been a long debate about the pros and cons of this technology, many users today are convinced of its benefits. There are now around 2.2 million IO-Link nodes installed and the trend is further growing. From 2013 to 2014 alone, the number of nodes virtually doubled. Users today implementing IO-Link have already fulfilled the basic requirements for a fully automated factory. The possibility to implement the forwarding of sensor data to higher-level ERP systems is thus already in place with IO-Link. But for a new technology to be established, suppliers must offer in their portfolio components for all levels of the automation pyramid. At Turck, the Mülheim based automation specialist, IO-Link technology has played a key role in product development since the beginning. Today, the company offers a comprehensive IO-Link portfolios on the market – from the simple programmable fieldbus module right up to the intelligent field device. At the WIN Eurasia fair in Istanbul, Turkey, Turck will showcase three of its innovative developments with IO-Link technology: The inductive proximity Author: Oliver Marks is Vice President Automation Products at Turck, Mülheim, Germany switch uprox3, the contactless encoder QR24 and the laser distance sensor Q4X. The IO-Link technology expands the range of possible applications. It turns a simple proximity switch into a multifunction sensor that also includes the possibility of identification. Dual operating mode The inductive proximity switch offers two operating modes. In IO-Link mode the sensor is operated on an IO-Link master, and in standard I/O mode on the conventional digital input of an I/O module or controller. In this case IO-Link is only used for configuration purposes. In standard I/O mode two sensor switch points can be set individually and independently of each other. For instance, if you have the choice between a 5 or 8 mm switching distance, it is now possible to set the sensor precisely to 8 mm, 7.2 mm, 6.4 mm down to 0.8 mm. This may be particularly necessary for targets with a large tolerance in order to prevent damage and switching errors at the same time. It also simplifies mounting. With the dual operation mode, the inductive proximity switch can be set to IO-Link mode, but also to standard I/O mode for very specific detection tasks. This makes it possible, for example, to implement rotational speed monitoring applications. With a rotating target, the sensor is switched off for the duration of one revolution. The sensor is then reactivated and the target would have to be located in front of the sensor again. If this is not the case, the sensor switches off and the user knows that the speed is no longer correct. Application: Identification tasks as well as temperature monitoring In IO-Link mode, the inductive proximity switch is operated on an IO-Link master. The workpiece carriers on which the proximity switch checks the correct position of the workpiece can be identified automatically. And this can be carried out without any additional IO-Link call, but as part of the cyclic data. If required, the IO-Link call can be used to read out all the characters of the application specific tag in order to use more complex ID information. It can also be used to provide information in the cyclic data about whether the actual temperature is above or below the set temperature range. The precise value of the integrated measuring sensor can be called via the controller as part of the acyclic information. The integrated temperature monitoring thus enables predictive maintenance. Turck’s new ‘uprox3’, the inductive proximity switch with IO-Link technology

User benefits The versatile setting options enable users to reduce the number of different types of sensors required. In the future they can purchase just one sensor as a universal solution, which can be set as required for specific applications via IO-Link. The IO-Link variant is only slightly higher in price than the conventional proximity sensor. The integrated identification feature saves the costs of acquiring an RFID or barcode system. First contactless encoder with IO-Link Turck’s single-turn encoder (QR24-IOL) offers similar benefits thanks to its IO-Link interface. Previous IO-Link encoders only used the technology for setting parameters. If IO-Link is also used as a data interface, as it is on both the contactless encoder and the laser distance sensor, the user can make some effective cost savings. Expensive shielded or twisted pair cables, as required for analog signal transmission, become a thing of the past. IO-Link works reliably with inexpensive standard three-wire cables. Turck is continuing this approach consistently with the pricing, making it consequently cheaper than the variants with analog, SSI or other digital interfaces. Freely selectable zero point Besides the cost saving benefit, the QR24-IOL boasts some clever parameter options. The user can set the zero point of the encoder as required. It was often necessary before to make compromises in mounting and commissioning. This sometimes meant that the terminals were difficult to reach or the diagnostic LEDs were hardly visible even though the zero point was correct. Alternatively the encoder could also be mounted without a correct zero point alignment. Users nevertheless had to store correction factors in their controller. The freely adjustable zero point of the QR24-IOL eliminates both these disadvantages. The orientation of the encoder can also be selected – either clockwise or counterclockwise (CW or CCW). The QR24-IOL encoder variant also enables predictive maintenance. Besides the 16 bits which are output as a position signal, the encoder also transmits 3 bytes of status information. These increase the diagnostic coverage and indicate whether the positioning element is measuring correctly or not. This information can also be provided early on via the controller, if shocks have caused the encoder or positioning element to become loose . LEDs directly on the encoder show this information also and thus simplify diagnostics in the field and the correct mounting of the positioning element. Laser distance sensor Turck’s together with it’s photoelectric components partner, Banner Engineering introduced on the market a new laser distance sensor, another IO-Link device. It is the first device of its kind to combine two operating modes that previously were always used separately: Contrast sensing and adjustable background suppression. The user can set the mode and other parameters such as switch window and foreground and background suppression, as well as predictive maintenance, directly in the field via the display or via IO-Link. The communication interface here considerably simplifies the parameter setting at locations that are difficult to access. The benefits for parameter setting in particular are also provided since IO-Link version 1.1 is now available and supports all new Turck sensors. When a replacement is necessary, the IO-Link master simply copies all the stored parameters to the identical replacement device. Employees do not require any special training to carry out the replacement and operation can continue without interruption. Particularly in the event of unscheduled machine failures, this intelligent data retention feature can considerably reduce costly downtimes. System expertise in IO-Link 01 Using the “Application Specific Tag” each uprox3 IO-Link sensor can be individually identified Customers continuously using IO-Link as a data interface benefit from Turck’s expertise with this technology. Turck has now integrated the setting options of all in-house IO-Link devices in the station GSDML file of the TBEN-S master. This simplifies the setting up of a system via the PLC. When the GSDML file is read in by the software (TIA Portal or other) all Turck devices can be selected as a specific port configuration. Both the individual parameter setting of devices via a PC as well as the manual writing of an IO-Link call program block in the controller thus become unnecessary. This provides a user-friendly solution to the integration of the IO-Link devices. When advanced station parameters are displayed in TIA Portal, all parameters which were previously specified are grayed out. The remaining unspecified parameters can then be selected easily via drop-down fields. The integration of the IODDs also simplifies the commissioning of machinery. If a device is connected to the wrong input, this is detected by the controller – also if the device is replaced at a later time. Any connection faults arising during commissioning and servicing can be detected quickly. The diagnostics of devices during operation is also easier since each individual sensor can be accessed without any programming effort. Photographs: Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG www.turck.com About Turck 02 The QR24 IO-Link works reliably with inexpensive standard three-wire cables Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG is one of the leading manufacturers in the field of industrial automation. It is globally represented by approximately 4,000 employees working in 28 countries. With a versatile range of approximately 15,000 sensor, fieldbus, interface and connectivity products, the company offers solutions for various applications in the fields of factory and process automation. It is headquartered in Mülheim, Germany. AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 1/2016

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