Pepperl+Fuchs Debuts New IO-Link Smart Valve Connector
With a new drop-in replacement valve connector, Pepperl+Fuchs offers a way for engineers to extract data from brownfield pneumatic and hydraulic valves to prevent downtime.
Smarter Components for Smarter Manufacturing
Industry 4.0 is all about data collection. Gathering information from virtually every device within your equipment gives you a better understanding of when and why devices break down. The IO-Link protocol gives device manufacturers the ability to transmit a large amount of this diagnostic data to local control systems and cloud gateways.
Pepperl+Fuchs already has a large collection of IO-Link masters and sensors, and has now introduced a new IO-Link valve connector series.
The new smart valve connector with IO-Link connector from Pepperl+Fuchs. Image used courtesy of Pepperl+Fuchs
Valve Connector
Attached to the coil of every solenoid valve is a large assembly that facilitates the passing of current safely from the input wires into the solenoid coil terminals. As long as the solenoid is powered, the valve will open or close depending on the presence or direction of the current and topology of the connections. Pepperl+Fuchs design engineers have migrated the IO-Link technology that is already commonly implemented for sensor devices and applied it to a valve connector. By doing this, they have converted a simple control valve into a smart valve.
Smart Valve Control
Of course, when we apply the term smart to any sort of control device, we must explain what this means: how is it smarter, and how does it benefit the end user?
The IO-Link valve connector works with most pneumatic or hydraulic solenoid valves by simply replacing the existing valve connector with the IO-Link connector. The IO-Link technology allows for extensive monitoring and control of the valve.
Supply voltage, output current, valve movement percent, temperature, and power consumption of the solenoid are just some of the diagnostic data that can be retrieved from the IO-Link valve connector. Each variable can have high and low limits configured, which can then be applied to an alarm function. Lead breakages and short circuits can also be detected and reported to the control system or cloud system for emergency action.
Controlling a solenoid valve is quite simple, it only requires a sufficient current to be present at one of the terminals and ground to be present at the other terminal. Internal switches are sometimes used to indicate fully open or fully closed positions. With the power of IO-Link, the position of the solenoid valve can be reported back to the control system so switches are not required.
The IO-Link connector also has a power save mode where a PWM signal is used to open and close the valve, reducing up to 70% of the energy consumption. The temperature of the valve is also reduced using this power save mode which will length the service life of the valve.
IO-Link can report temperature, service life, power consumption, and alarm limits to provide data in advance of problematic failures. Image used courtesy of Pepperl+Fuchs
Each connector comes equipped with a pre-assembled M12 connector that is compatible with IO-Link masters, so there is no need to field wire connectors. Connectors can be given programmable names to easily identify valves within the control system. A programmable LED is also provided, allowing maintenance staff and operators to evaluate the status of the valve with a quick glance.
An innovative “Find me” function also makes use of the LED so that a single valve can be identified quickly in the field. All of the parameters are stored in the IO-Link master so that if a connector needs to be replaced, maintenance staff won’t have to waste time setting up features and limits.
Applications of Smart Valve Connectors
Preventative maintenance is a very hot topic right now in industrial automation, and a primary pillar of accurate failure prediction is data collection. Data points such as peak solenoid current, number of cycles, hours of operation, and temperature can be used to determine when that valve might fail or has failed. To replicate the functionality of the IO-Link valve connector, you would need many sensors and miles of wiring.
The new smart valve connector series with IO-Link from Pepperl+Fuchs offers all of these data points and allows for more efficient control of your valve all with one connection.
