How to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution? The answer may seem simple; we need automated machines, capable of optimizing their functions. And it is necessary that these produce data by connecting with the central computer system.
A triad of innovative services
The integration of the systems with the automation already present in the company is in fact a guarantee of functions that were unthinkable until a few years ago, including:
– traceability, i.e. the identification of the goods for greater accuracy and transparency in production and logistics.
– The location of objects in the plant, with important improvements in terms of efficiency and safety.
– Safety itself, through the raising of operator protection standards.
The centrality of smart sensors
For the success of this digital integration, intelligent sensors play a strategic role, which detect the presence and physical characteristics of objects, collect data and send them to the company server. Machines equipped with smart sensors can in fact communicate with each other and with the central system.
IO-Link protocol: a communication network
Conveying all information into the corporate IT network is the main objective of this innovation. And it is made possible by IO-Link, a serial communication protocol, based on open standards, which allows the bidirectional exchange of data between sensors and devices that support the protocol itself.
Adaptability and safety
The added value of smart sensors with IO-Link interface is represented by the possibility of integrating with any machine and computer network, both new and existing.
Last but not least, the combination of intelligent sensors and the IO-Link interface makes it possible to reduce accidents at work, up to completely eliminating them.
Source: industry4business.it, bannerengineering.com
