Reliable signal transmission in extreme environments

Weld-immune IO-Link masters and sensor/actuator hubs

Balluff now offers a new family of network modules designed for the extreme conditions of a welding environment. These weld-immune modules made of fiberglass reinforced plastic reliably resist weld splatter, welding currents and electromagnetic noise fields and ensure reliable signal transmission in spite of ambient electrical disturbances. Another plus: They are easy to install.

The family includes IO-Link masters and IO-Link sensor/actuator hubs with 8 IO-Link ports each for 16 in- and outputs. These will accommo-date IO-Link as well as digital and intelligent complex devices. Each input on the IO-Link master is short-circuit protected and each output protected from overload. The in- and outputs on the hubs are freely configurable. Also available are hubs with an expansion port. A com-plete valve plug or an additional sensor hub can be connected to them for "collecting" standard sensors. For the user this means a significant gain in flexibility and efficiency. Now it is possible not only to cost-effectively process additional in- and outputs, but also expand the range to a circle of another 20 m.

The new modules allow the design of a decentralized system architec-ture in the welding cell outside the control cabinet. Thanks to plug-and-play and the use of unshielded standard cables typical of IO-Link, the system can be started up in no time at all. Network nodes equipped with an IO-Link master communicate via Ethernet/IP directly with the main controller or control device on the machine.

In addition to a 2-port switch for daisy chaining networks the IO-Link master features an integrated display for checking module information such as hard- and software status or for diagnostics without the need for additional hard- and software. LEDs indicate the status of each port. A real-time display of the module with all current statuses for extended diagnostics is provided through the integrated web server.