SICK sets a new standard with smart sensor integration
Eve Goode
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According to SICK, IO-Link as a global standard for smart sensor integration opens up a wide range of possibilities for customers in automation.
SICK has announced that its SIG300 IO-Link Master is setting a new standard for smart sensor integration in terms of flexibility, connectivity and user-friendliness.
Special highlights include the integrated Logic Editor, which solves remote control tasks directly on the device and the USB-C interface for intuitive configuration of the SIG300.
Integrated devices
Integration into heterogeneous device and fieldbus landscapes is also easy thanks to SICK’s Function Block Factory.
When used with a SIG100, the IP67-certified SIG300 has a total of eight ports and can process up to 102 digital signals.
The company notes that unlike other IO-Link Masters on the market, it offers comprehensive functionality in a compact device.
The bridge between OT and IT
Increasing digitalisation in industry requires end-to-end communication between machines and systems at operational level (OT) as well as server and cloud environments in IT systems.
SICK states that the SIG300 assumes the central role as an intelligent data broker.
Companies can integrate sensor and actuator data into IT and cloud platforms in real time via several interfaces, including JSON-REST API and MQTT.
This is particularly relevant for applications such as condition monitoring, process control and remote maintenance.
SICK thanks the support for Ethernet-based fieldbuses such as EtherCAT, PROFINET and EtherNet/IP, as the SIG300 ensures flexible integration into a wide range of control systems.
This facilitates the connection to programmable logic controllers (PLC) without the need for complex adaptations.
Plug-and-play implementation
Users of the SIG300 are able to configure and parameterise connected IO-Link devices without additional software directly in the web interface of the SIG300 – due to the integrated IODD interpreter.
Customers can also access SICK’s Function Block Factory online and generate suitable manufacturer-independent function blocks.
This makes it easy to integrate the SIG300 into fieldbuses and controllers from different manufacturers and to integrate it into the existing automation environment, the company says.
Additionally, the company highlights that the “Backup & Restore” function makes it much easier to replace connected devices.
When a sensor or actuator is replaced, the SIG300 automatically transfers the previously saved device configuration to the new device, without any additional time or effort on the part of the user.
The same applies to the configuration of the SIG300, which can be duplicated and transferred to other SIG300 devices.
According to SICK, this saves customers time and money for the programming that would otherwise be required.
Efficient edge computing
SICK’s SIG300 is one of the few IO-Link Masters to offer an integrated logic editor. This enables decentralised filtering and analysis of IO-Link device data.
Due to the pre-processing, logic operations such as counting, averaging or limit value monitoring can be performed in the SIG300 and data can be bundled for data transfer.
Customers benefit from increased responsiveness, reduced computing loads in automation systems and lower data transmission volumes.
The company says that this can lead to significant cost savings for cloud services.
SIG300’s intelligent automation
The SIG300 IO-Link Master seamlessly records, manages and integrates process and device data, opening up numerous application possibilities in diverse fields of process control.
In quality control, the SIG300 detects production errors early by identifying deviations from defined sensor parameters.
This reduces scrap costs, increases yields and ensures consistently high product quality while consuming fewer resources.
In automated assembly processes in particular, both product quality and process reliability can be significantly improved through the data-supported control of robots, grippers and other handling systems.
SIG300 analyses the transmitted sensor data, thereby enabling the error-free recording and placement of objects.
