IO-Link Safety Comes to Life with PILZ

November 1, 2022

DCS IO Link Safety Comes to Life 1 400x275

The first multi-vendor live demo with IO-Link Safety will be demonstrated at the joint PI stand at the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg – Germany (Hall 5, 210). Eight manufacturing companies will be demonstrating the possibilities and power of IO-Link Safety live on site.

A failsafe PLC will be communicating with IO-Link Safety masters over PROFINET and PROFIsafe here. Light grids, door locks, control & signaling device boxes, emergency-stop buttons and safe drives are integrated into the application as IO-Link Safety devices. To demonstrate the interplay between IO-Link and IO-Link Safety in an application, an IO-Link text display and an IO-Link signal light are used for status indication.

The application also demonstrates mixed communication mode in particular, where safety-oriented and standard data is exchanged with the same IO-Link device at the same time. This makes IO-Link Safety very powerful and is used for safe drives, door locks and control & signaling device boxes, among other things. In this way, non-safety-oriented functions can be programmed as usual, while only the safety-oriented functions have to be controlled and monitored by the PLC's failsafe program.

Device engineering is carried out as usual with IO-Link using the IODD (IO Device Description). If device-specific and safety-oriented parameters can also be set with the IO-Link device, a so-called dedicated safety tool from the device manufacturer can be used in addition to the IODD. A standardized interface (device tool interface, or DTI) is available for integration of the dedicated safety tool into the IO-Link engineering software. Pre-configuration outside the system can also be carried out conveniently with a USB IO-Link master. This provides IO-link Safety functions in conjunction with the engineering software. This makes it possible to test the safety functions prior to installation in the system.

To learn more about IO-Link Safety from PILZ, visit them at SPS or visit their website by clicking here

Put to the Ultimate Test – Part 1: Torsion Tests by HELUKABEL

DCS Put to the Ultimate Test Part 1 Torsion Tests by HELUKABEL 1 400x275

Cables and wires in industrial robots and other moving machine parts are often required to withstand extreme stresses caused by torsion. Constant repetitive movements put materials under considerable strain. At the same time, operators expect components to function perfectly and reliably throughout their entire service life to avoid disruptions, outages and safety hazards.

For this reason, at HELUKABEL, we simulate intensive and continuous torsion stresses under realistic conditions with our high-tech testing equipment in Windsbach. We have several types of apparatus for doing this because some of our customers, for example those in the automotive industry, have very precise specifications for how a torsion test is carried out. The tests show that our cables and wires withstand speeds up to 1,000°/s, accelerations up to 2,000°/s² and torsion angles up to 720°. Hence, we make sure that each product always meets our customers’ high standards, and that they receive the impeccable quality they rightly expect from us as a leading supplier of cables, wires and accessories for more than 40 years.

What Is Torsion?

To learn the answer, click here

30 Minute Live Webinar 2:30 PM ET January 19th, 2023

With PC-based automation, you can implement applications and solutions that far exceed the functions of a classic controller. SIMATIC PC-based products offer you a flexible, innovative platform with long-term availability that give you a home field advantage when meeting the challenges of the digital factory for your machines and plants.

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