At the just concluded 2023 Intelligent Automation and Components Exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, Pielmagnetic showed users a complete system based on IO-Link Safety, which includes an IP67 module as a master station, through which it communicates with the PLC controller of the previous layer. All non-safe standard components such as IO-Link LED signals as well as safe IO-Link Safety sensors and actuators are connected to the IO-Link Safety master station from Peel Magnetic. Safety sensors that support IO-Link safety include safety grating PSENopt II Advanced IOLS, button box unit PITgatebox IOLS, etc.
The system based on IO-Link Safety is very simple in wiring, greatly saving the time of debugging, and because the communication interface of the sensor is independent of the fieldbus system, it is also more flexible in application. For example, through IO-Link Safety and safety light curtain communication, it is possible to better diagnose faults and evaluate each beam, and users can also use user-friendly software tools to perform a variety of general configurations, such as masking and blanking functions. All in all, IO-Link Safety is a simpler and more efficient solution.

IO-Link and IO-Link Safety

IO-Link is an open sensor communication protocol that represents a powerful, standardized connection technology for point-to-point communications (IEC61131-9) and is independent of fieldbuses and systems. In order to enable IO-Link to be applied to security-related automation tasks, Pilmagnetic and other partners in the IO-Link Community have invested a lot of efforts, and finally made a breakthrough in the past two years. After a lot of standardization and development work, countless tests and the drafting of specifications, at SPS 2022, the first multi-vendor demonstration of IO-Link Safety was conducted, showing users the practicality of the technology.

The complete system of IO-Link Safety on display at SPS 2023 highlights the solution’s cost-orientation and proximity to the customer.

New possibilities for data evaluation
The potential applications of IO-Link Safety are still in their infancy in the field of automation, especially for safety sensors, which can collect a lot of information from the field: what is the switching frequency of the safety lock device, what is the status of the safety switch? Is the security door open or closed? What is the status of the sensors? Let’s wait. The unified collection of this information facilitates the early development of appropriate action plans for the condition of equipment, such as maintenance, which opens up new possibilities for data evaluation.
A communication system with great potential

According to statistics, the IO-Link Alliance currently has about 460 member companies around the world, which can provide more than 25,000 products supporting IO-Link, and the communication system has proved its practicality in just a few years, establishing itself in the market position.

As a consistent IO-Link Safety, the same potential is huge, as the Safety products supporting IO-Link safety are listed one after another, users will gain real convenience from this technology.