Flexible shortening and custom control
Indicator lights and machine traffic lights have become a firmly established aspect of intralogistics operations, providing information about operating statuses and fill levels. In most cases, however, companies are restricted to lights with fixed segments and lengths. Most lights have previously also just lit up in a single colour over their entire area. The new LED Strips from item Industrietechnik show it doesn’t have to be that way. Connection to the machine control system via
IO-Link and a specially developed IO-Link Controller enables light functions and colours to be customised.
Red means stop and green means go – most of us already learn this rule for pedestrian lights at nursery age. In industry, too, signalling lights are a good way of indicating specific statuses. They are visible from some distance away and provide a quick overview of the current situation at the relevant workstation or machine. Most lights are limited to one or just a few colours and segments, though, which is not ideal for complex, multilayer processes. LED Light Fittings and LED Strips from item offer a solution to this challenge. item is the first company in the world to develop a special IO-Link Controller for LED strips. This device has an IO-Link interface and thus enables standardised communication with tried-and-tested connection technology for sensors and actuators. The IO-Link Controller is connected to the machine control system via the IO-Link master.
IO-Link as a central information source
IO-Link products can be configured very easily and in all kinds of different ways. Thanks to its helpful functions, IO-Link has quickly become established as the industry standard. As a bidirectional point-to-point connection, the communication system supplies periodic updates about the status of connected devices. If one of these overheats or is approaching the end of its maximum service life, for instance, the IO-Link master sends a signal to the machine control system. The connected devices’ parametrisation data can also be stored, resulting in a much shorter connection time for a new assembly. Thanks to its specially designed IO-Link Controller, item is making use of these functions for some of its new signalling solutions.
Signalling based on the building kit principle
The new item portfolio of signalling solutions includes Multi-Segment RGB LED Strips, which are available in lengths of up to 6 metres. The special feature of these strips is that they can be shortened one LED at a time. They are protected by a Casing Profile that can be opened up and also shortened to the required length using multi-purpose pliers. The new solution is perfect for visualising fill levels, process times, and the status of processes and workstations.
Length: 2958 characters including spaces
Date: 23 April 2024
Photos: 2 (source: item)
Bildunterschrift 1: item is the first company in the world to develop a special IO-Link Controller for LED strips. This device has an IO-Link interface and thus enables standardised communication with tried-and-tested connection technology for sensors and actuators.
Caption 2: The new item portfolio of signalling solutions includes Multi-Segment RGB LED Strips, which are available in lengths of up to 6 metres. They can be shortened one LED at a time as required.
