ifm recently assisted an original equipment manufacturer operating in the food and beverage sector to switch from working with an automation concept based on parallel wiring to a smart wiring system using IO-Link solutions – so enabling it to achieve higher efficiency, lower costs, more flexibility and, at the same time, standardisation.
With the IO-Link wiring system, ifm assisted an OEM manufacturer in the F&B sector, to gain many benefits.
The company supplies customised plants for various production processes. In the food and beverage industry, plants must comply with strict guidelines such as the 3-A Sanitary Standards and the EHEDG (the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) standards. In compliance with these guidelines, production plants are designed hygienically to ensure maximum product safety.
For OEMs that manufacture many individual machines to meet specific customer requirements, the versatility and ease of installation of the automation components they use is a decisive competitive advantage. However, customisations that go beyond general market requirements present manufacturers with numerous challenges in their projects. Efficiency, short commissioning times, plant safety and reliability are essential. For this OEM, the automation concept it had previously used, based on parallel wiring, no longer met these requirements due to low flexibility and high installation costs.
By using IO-Link products from ifm, the company manages to ensure higher efficiency, lower costs and more flexibility, and, at the same time can work in a standardised way. The ifm sales team analysed the situation on site and developed a network architecture adapted to its customer’s requirements. The IO-Link master plays a central role in this because it provides for simple and quick adaptation of the wiring to different machine types, which reduces both the installation and wiring costs. With its IP69K protection rating, the IO-Link master can be used directly in the field; local junction boxes are not required.
Digital communication via standard cables without shielding means that fewer cables are needed than before; this also facilitates cleaning. The plug and play principle makes installation fast and simple. An M12 connection guarantees secure and correct wiring and eliminates potential sources of error.
Furthermore, there is no need to scale analogue signals, analogue input cards are no longer required, and the control element becomes leaner. In addition to optimising the network architecture, ifm’s experts offer customers training in the use of IO-Link to make the changeover to digital technology easier.
Results
In this case, ifm assisted the company in preparing for Industry 4.0 with IO-Link products. This delivers measurable cost savings of up to 30% per machine type, with a 30% cost reduction in instrumentation; it reduces installation and commissioning time by 60% and provides for a return on investment (ROI) within one year.
For more information visit: www.ifm.com
