For more flexibility and efficiency in automation

IO-Link Safety and safeIDS 

Companies that wish to remain competitive and compensate for the shortage of skilled workers will count on increasing the flexibitlity of their automated processes. Evaluating and transporting safe data plays a decisive role in this. With IO-Link Safety and the new safeIDS sensor, SICK offers an innovative solution for combining safe and non-safe data. This opens up a raft of new possibilities for robotics, the packaging industry and machine tool manufacturers for making their automated processes more agile by flexibly adapting the machine parameters. 

Everybody is talking about it – IO-Link Safety supplements the tried-and-proven IO-Link technology with functionally safe components and safe communication. While retaining the known advantages of IO-Link such as simple data transmission, high flexibility and manufacturer-independent use, IO-Link Safety employs point-to-point communication and extends the IO-Link protocol with safety-relevant data. A single standard cable is all that is required to connect safety sensors to an IO-Link-Safety Master, which then integrates the devices onto the safe fieldbus.

With its safeIDS sensor, SICK now offers a specific IO-Link safety product which takes safety communication a decisive step forward by opening up new cost-effective and flexible solutions for the integration of safety-related components into machines and plants.

Compatible, independent, pioneering – the IO-Link Safety Master

IO-Link Safety provides a whole range of tangible benefits to users, beginning with the comprehensive compatibility of the IO-Link Safety Master, which allows IO-Link Safety devices to be connected as well as conventionally switching safety sensors with OSSDs and non-safe IO-Link devices. IO-Link Safety is independent of higher level fieldbus protocols and meets the requirements of applications right up to SIL3/PLe. Compared to safety Ethernet interfaces, IO-Link Safety has a much smaller hardware footprint and associated costs. The technology is therefore capable of being rolled out in future to a wide variety of product segments right through to the smallest safety sensors.

Fast wiring, integration and device replacement

Additional advantages also present themselves on installation, such as simple wiring and the elimination of expensive and time-consuming assembled, shielded cables. Remote IO-Link Safety master modules, with up to eight safety inputs, allow east connectivity with increased data capability. Exchanging devices is also simple and requires no special tools. This ensures that time and costs for commissioning decrease and significantly reduces work effort. 

Furthermore, the range of diagnostic options increases and leads to a fast and targeted isolation and resolution of errors. Port detection enables the identification of incorrect connections and helps reduce the possibility of manipulation meaning that project planning of safety functions is incredibly easy. 

safeIDS revolutionizes tool changes on robots

Because IO-Link Safety enables increased safety sensor data and comprehensive diagnostic data, previously elaborate application solutions, for example, tool changes on robots, can be made decisively leaner and flexible using the new safeIDS sensor. Robots in automotive manufacturing are already equipped with automated tool change systems, but these are based on comparatively complicated workaround solutions. This is because safe direct identification of tools has previously been either not possible, or very expensive. With safeIDS, transmission of the tag ID of a tool to the controller can occur safely via the IO-Link Safety Master. To this end, the safeIDS sensor, which can be mounted in a space-saving manner, on the end of the robot arm, is manipulation-proof, and can safely identify the tool. . Allocating a particular tool type with a numbered RFID type means that a large number of different tool types can be used making it incredibly easy to replace in the event of a defect – the serial tag ID can simply be transferred to the new tool with no program changes in the controller.

This significantly reduces the work during the commissioning stage as storage stations for tools no longer need to be wired and can also remain empty for future system extensions. It also opens up new optimization solutions for further production automation because all tools present can be used by any of the robots as soon as the tools have been made available via an automated distribution with AGVs. This means more flexibility and a higher utilization rate of not only the variations of tool but also robots, because rigid linear structures can be broken up. Maintenance of robot systems also becomes more efficient because the individual process steps are no longer tied to specific robots.

Beside robotics and factory automation, the packaging industry can also benefit with IO-Link Safety from the combination of safe communication and extended diagnostic. In particular at transfer stations, a smooth transfer of workpieces is possible thanks to the safe position detection because objects, whether it be tools, pallets or loads, can be reliably identified. Safe case differentiation provides the flexibility to achieve batch size 1.

With IO-Link Safety – well positioned for the future

Industrial advances are gaining significant momentum with IO-Link Safety. The focus here is also on topics such as predictive maintenance and digital twins . Since the IO-Link Safety communication interface is standardized worldwide via a consortium of leading manufacturers, it has been designed to be manufacturer-independent and open in use and can be integrated well into numerous fieldbus systems. Even existing IO-Link systems are easy to extend with safety devices. 

The list of advantages as a result of the end-to-end safe field communication is impressively long. Overall, IO-Link Safety and the associated components and devices will make automated systems not only more productive and profitable but also improve the future viability of companies.

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