PROFIsafe User Workshop at HMS in Ravensburg
On September 25, 2019, a PROFIsafe User Workshop took place in Ravensburg. Guests were the PROFIsafe Working Group with 12 exhibitors, the speakers, and the 33 workshop participants at HMS.
The PROFIsafe day started with a Get Together at 08:45. Exciting presentations on topics such as system integration, safety, and security accompanied the participants throughout the day. The highlight of the afternoon was a Hands-On-Training and parallel sessions for manufacturers and machine builders.
Overall, the PNO is pleased with the positive feedback from the participants and a successful workshop at HMS.
IO-Link Interoperability Workshop
On October 1–2, 2019, over 90 representatives from 43 international businesses gathered in Bad Soden for the latest interoperability workshop. The IO-Link Community invited experts and manufacturers to test and ensure the interoperability of devices, masters, and tools under real working conditions.
During the two-day event, the latest IO-Link device developments were tested with regard to the interface itself, as well as to cross-system integration into a variety of different engineering tools. The range of device classes has expanded. Increasingly, IO-Link is being used beyond the scope of traditional factory automation. IO-Link wireless devices and components were also debuted at the workshop.
Another significant new development for IO-Link, the implementation of the Smart Sensor profile in devices, was also tested by multiple manufacturers at the workshop. Applicability and integration of sensors are both simplified considerably through the standardization of process data and device behavior described in the profile. The data storage functionality – which ensures that device parameters are automatically taken over, without tooling, when the device is replaced – was also successfully tested on various masters and devices currently available on the market. These are two key user benefits when it comes to the practical application of IO-Link technology. The first devices with the Smart Sensor profile are already available on the market.
The participants’ lively interaction and sharing of experiences is a significant feature of the interoperability workshop. It is one of the major benefits of the event. This makes it possible to clarify and resolve problems quickly, perhaps even early enough to be implemented in the specification work. Thus, the latest improvements to the specification V1.1.3 were presented and explained during the workshop in Bad Soden.