IO-Link in real life
Machine-builders refer to their experiences with IO-Link
The machine-builders, using IO-Link, called the most important benefits from their point of view in the context of the market survey about IO-Link.
„Less wiring effort, less interference sources, cost savings“
This statement provided a machine-builder producing 50 textile machines with IO-Link until 2016.
These benefits are at the same time those three benefits the users of IO-Link concentrated three quarters of their benefit denominations.
So other sectors called accordingly:
- „Wiring saving, reduction of the sources of error.“ (Packaging machines)
- „Reduced wiring, loss-free transfer of analog signals, cost savings.“ (Wood processing machines)
A machine-builder from the machine tool sector compares IO-Link with terminal box:
- „The most important thing is that I can connect 16 signals via a cable that is not fault-prone; secondly that I can use a very thin cable because there are many “dead ends” around the gripper module; and thirdly that we do not have to do any wiring because we use plug-in connectors thus avoiding any faults of connections. In the past we used terminal boxes. However, that is not payable any longer. The IO link modules are also expensive, they need IP67, have to be oil resistant, are sealed. Once I had calculated costs and benefits. Many factors are to be accounted for. The most important factor is the work time because the terminal boxes count for much detailed work.“
Another machine tool builder focuses on startup and service:
- „IO-Link saves wiring, we get information about the sensor for diagnostics and it saves time for startup and helps substituting the sensor n the service. Roughly estimated the wiring effort is reduced by 20% and the time for startup by around 10%.“
Finally a machine-builder from the sector robotics and automation compares IO-Link with field buses in the sensor/actuator level:
- „1. The wiring is easier; 2. It fits to the used sensors and the availability of the devices and 3. It was easier in the use, less complex in regard to its activation and the analysis than Profibus.“