IO-Link safety integrates safety-related devices into a control system using a communication protocol designed for industrial automation.

Balluff’s new multi-protocol IO-Link masters support most established industrial Ethernet protocols, including Profinet, Ethernet IP, and Modbus TCP, all in one device.

IO-Link Wireless delivers the many benefits of IO-Link to applications where cables were previously not available.

Balluff’s code reader with IO-Link now offers even more capabilities thanks to new firmware update features.

This article explores how IO-Link is reshaping predictive maintenance and empowering real-time sensor management, elevating the performance of modern industrial operations.

By now we’ve all heard of IO-Link, the device-level communication protocol that seems magical. 

Balluff’s new IDENT sensor is the first code reader on the market to offer IO-Link. No need for separate Ethernet drops and IP addresses for every reader.

Balluff’s M12 inductive sensors with IO-Link support condition monitoring and enable application-specific setups. 

As manufacturers continually look for ways to maximize productivity and eliminate waste, automation sensors are taking on a new role in the plant. Once, sensors were used only to provide detection or measurement data so the PLC could process it and run the machine. 

Balluff’s new generation of optical head amplifiers delivers precise detection and high speeds for small-scale processes. And IO-Link versions make it possible to parameterize, monitor, and centrally control any of Balluff’s more than 125 remote optical heads.