I’ve had the opportunity of a lifetime to work with a talented team here at Gerrie and Rockwell Automation, a place where we can stand out, work hard, and be different. It’s this driving force that has helped push our mission to help customers be more successful. Being the sensor guy has been very enjoyable in learning that it’s our connected solutions and IO-Link that really set us apart from the other guys. Working as a Rockwell solutions provider feels a lot like working with the greats – even though I didn’t get the chance to rock the drums like Lars Ulrich in a stadium full of people (Long Live Metallica!) 

But seriously, getting to learn about Rockwell’s IO-Link has been an eye opener. Although the technology has been around for a while, we’re in the thick of it as a big player in the game and have helped customers see some significant long-term savings as part of their connected enterprise. My biggest concern when helping people out is how dirty is the environment? The target isn’t metallic?

Well there goes photoeyes and inductive proxies right there. Do we now have to rely on an ultrasonic for this critical application or dedicate a technician to routinely wipe down a photoeye all day? Not at all. By programming the low margin level with a bit output to a compressor, we can keep that sensor clean all day, all week, year-round. Now imagine an entire line of those sensors. Savings are enormous and possibilities are endless!

Rockwell’s IO-Link is feature rich and extremely reliable. All relevant information is displayed on a user-friendly dashboard that can be viewed on any PanelView HMI which can directly monitor each sensor’s status and temperature.

Servicing the device has become easier, Automatic Device Configuration (ADC) takes the trouble and downtime out of swapping broken sensors and locating a defective unit is much quicker thanks to the locate feature which blinks the light on the sensor and displays on the dashboard – a huge time saver when there are fifty sensors on one line. Additionally, settings can be set to remote/local to prevent unwanted changes, because we know mistakes happen. Our two master modules offer a high IP rated on-machine and in-cabinet POINT/IO solution that the sensors plug into, giving great flexibility when planning out a project. There are a lot more features we can discuss at length if you’d like to reach out.

This was someone who stood out, innovated a style and took the spotlight as a dominant guitar player. This was my influence growing up – stand out, work hard, don’t be afraid to be different.