DISTRIBUTED MODULAR I/O FOR PNEUMATICS & HYDRAULICS

DISTRIBUTED MODULAR I/O FOR PNEUMATICS & HYDRAULICS Using IO-Link to expand control and improve monitoring White Paper 2 Machinery builders who utilize pumps and valves in their equipment have various options when it comes to monitoring and controlling these industrial devices. In addition, when working with fluids and gasses, there is the need to monitor the state of the process using temperature, pres- sure, and flow measurements or even valve position feedback. The controls engineer is responsible for maintaining the cost effectiveness of the controls equipment while providing flexibility and monitoring in a highly competitive and increasingly global marketplace. The development of the distributed modular I/O architecture has lowered the cost per point of the controls design and has reduced the time to integrate. The distributed modular I/O architecture utilizes the vendor-neutral industrial standard, IO-Link (www.IO-Link.com), which allows for easy, universal, smart devices to be integrated. It uses low-cost standard M12 4-wire unshielded cables which help keep the cost of communica- tion low even while maintaining noise immunity. By implementing a master/slave relationship, up to 8 devices can be connected to one address of an industrial network. Distributed modular I/O architectures are IP67 which means they provide I/O that is machine mounted and can withstand all but the most hostile industrial environments in non-hazardous applications. Discrete I/O Analog I/O Valve Manifold Control RFID or Specialty Devices Gateway / Master Slave Devices Figure 1: Distributed Modular I/O IP67 Architecture DISTRIBUTED MODULAR I/O FOR PNEUMATICS & HYDRAULICS Using IO-Link to expand control and improve monitoring White Paper 3 Saving Costs with Pump and Valve Control Today many machinery builders utilize a hardwired solution for the control of their pumps and valves in their automated machines. If looking at just the hardware, this seems to be the most cost effective solution to driving the output. However, when reviewing the total-cost-of-ownership, the assembly labor, and the cost of hardware (such as controls cabinets, terminal strips, etc.), the total cost to control the one valve or pump becomes much higher. Furthermore, if the machine has to be disassembled to ship and install at the customer, the rewiring of the equipment can cut directly into the overall margin of the project. Typical pneumatic valve manifold installations require terminating 25 wires and troubleshooting multiple connectors, making for a time consuming and costly installation in labor and equip- ment. By using an industrial network and distributed modular I/O valve manifold connections, the time to install and troubleshoot these connections is dramatically reduced since the 25 terminations are digitally controlled over a simple M12 connection. The required space in the controls cabinet is reduced by removing the terminal strips and output card, and the time to have a machine running is shortened. This can allow the machine builder to potentially build more machines per year with the same resources. A recent customer study revealed that the customer was able to save over $350 per manifold installed on their equipment by moving to this distributed architecture and dramatically reduced the labor involved in the construction of the controls. When attempting to control pumps and valves in an installation less dense than a valve mani- fold, easy to use I/O devices can be integrated allowing for simple discrete or even analog control of the pump volume or valve position. In lieu of the terminals in the controls cabinet, standard industrial connectors make for easy work getting the devices up and running. With IO-Link devices from multiple vendors, it’s even possible to keep track of things like counting cycles or measuring exact valve position. Foolproof Sensor Setup for Monitoring The machine builder that is incorporating pumps and valves into his equipment is being asked more and more to provide additional information to the enterprise level of the factory. Every end user wants to know about their process - what is failing and what is working well. They expect and demand more information out of their equipment to be visible to all levels of the organization. One way to achieve this information is to integrate analog signals into the controls and sensors, but then you fight noise issues, ground loops, and all of the other intricacies of working with analog devices. One might think this can be easily fixed by implementing an industrial network, but typically it isn’t cost effective to have an Ethernet enabled pressure switch or Profibus linear transducer. These devices can be more costly and they take up IP addresses, nodes, and connections for small amounts of data. In addition, every machine builder reuses parts of their old designs in new projects, like always building the same hydraulic power unit. Every build would require you to reprogram the 10 or more settings of the pressure sensor using the pushbuttons, a manual, and about 30 minutes of patience. Figure 3: Valve Control with Distributed Modular I/O saved the cus- tomer over $350 per manifold. Figure 2: Reduction in Hardware & Labor with Distributed Modular I/O Valve Control Before After CPU IN OUTPS Sensors Valve Manifolds Sensors Any Network Power Valve Manifolds 4 When facing any of these above challenges, there are two distinct advantages to implementing a distributed modular I/O with IO-Link solution. The first advantage is the ability to eliminate your fight with analog signals. The measurement or feedback data is converted to digital inside the device and is packaged as a simple set of bytes that are transmit- ted by the master over the industrial network, meaning no more noise issues to contest with. Costly shielded multi- conductor cables are replaced with standard 4-wire sensor cables. And best of all, no more expensive analog cards in your controls cabinet for just one channel of analog. The second distinct advantage you gain by implementing IO-Link is the ability to store the parameters of the sensor/ probe/transducer, and then download the settings to the device when needed from a PC or the controller. IO-Link devices can be programmed on the fly to virtually any configuration that is determined by the key parameters of the device. This allows for multiple settings to be stored and swapped while running, increasing the flexibility of applications. In the off chance that the end-user has to replace the device, the master has saved the most recent parameters and it can automatically download the settings into the replacement device, no pushbuttons needed Distributed Modular I/O with IO-Link When machine builders integrate pumps, valves, and monitoring devices into hydraulic or pneumatic applications, distributed modular I/O can reduce the total cost of ownership of the machine, improve the speed of assembly, and ease the integration process. For end users, IO-Link can add flexibility to the machine, bring data to all levels of the plant, and ease troubleshooting problems for maintenance crews. About the author Will Healy III is the networking marketing manager for Balluff North America, based in Florence, KY. Before After CPU IN A N A LO G PS Monitoring Sensors -Set points -Analog Signal -Shield 10+ Manual Settings Per Device Any Network Power Monitoring Sensors With IO-Link -Diagnostics -Data -Parameters Automatic Parameter Settings Figure 4: Foolproof and Simplified Installation of Monitoring Devices 5 IO-Link for Manufacturers The Balluff IO-Link Advantage Discrete I/O - Up to 136 I/O per IP Address - IP67 Metal or Plastic, M8 or M12 - Inputs, Outputs, Configurable Valve Manifold Control - Compatible with all major manifold brands - 24VDC, Up to 1.1Amps active at one time - Up to 24 position control via 25pin D-sub Analog I/O - Up to 4 channels at 10bit - Available with 1 channel at 14bit - No shielded cable runs Smart Sensors - Photoeye, Prox, Ultrasonic, Pressure Sensors - Software storable and programmable parameters - Diagnostics and digital measurements RFID Traceability - Simple to implement, easy to use - 8byte or 30byte read/write versions - Enables flexibility and visibility in the machine Smart Light - Stacklight Mode: 1-5 zones - Level Mode: high/low level - Configure: Colors, brightness, levels, etc. Non-Contact Couplers - Power and signal transmission over the air gap - Power: 24VDC, Up to 0.5Amps transmitted - Signal: Any IO-Link Device, appears transparent Linear Transducers - No shielded cable runs and 32bit signed integer - Programmable stroke and setpoints - Available from 2” to 180” Widely adopted use across many industries The broadest offering of IO-Link Devices Get more intelligent devices per IP Address Easily implement with tools like AOIs and Faceplates IO-Link Masters - 4port and 8port versions - Parameter server functionality - Fully programmable display USA Balluff Inc. 8125 Holton Drive Florence, KY 41042 Phone: (859) 727-2200 Toll-free: 1-800-543-8390 Fax: (859) 727-4823 [email protected] Canada Balluff Canada, Inc. 2840 Argentia Road, Unit #2 Mississauga, Ontario L5N 8G4 Phone: (905) 816-1494 Toll-free: 1-800-927-9654 Fax: (905) 816-1411 [email protected] Mexico Balluff de México SA de CV Anillo Vial II Fray Junípero Serra No. 4416 Colonia La Vista Residencial. Querétaro, Qro. CP76232 Phone: (++52 442) 212-4882 Fax: (++52 442) 214-0536 [email protected] www.balluff.com 22_2016 Distributed Modular I/O for Pneumatics & Hydraulics: Using IO-Link to Expand Control and Improve Monitoring