IFM Electronic Ltd

ifm's ecolink series comprises sockets, cable plugs, jumper cables and splitter boxes in M8 and M12 design. The range is complemented by adapter sockets, adapter plugs, valve plugs and wirable sockets and plugs. Even when fastened by hand, a perfect lasting seal of sensor, actuator and splitter connections is guaranteed. The integrated end stop protects the O-ring against destruction caused by over-tightening the nut. Even in harsh industrial environments, the connectors are protected against unintended loosening by a special vibration protection. Some types are fitted with highly visible LEDs for operation and switching status indication. The product range is structured according to application areas. Connection technology is available for general industrial applications, for use in hygienic and wet areas in the food and beverage industry, for machine tool and metalworking applications and for use in welding systems, mobile machines or hazardous areas.

In many manufacturing and production processes, in mobile machines and in the area of renewable energies encoders have become established as reliable instruments to ensure precise positioning. They convert rotary movement into digital signals. Encoders use the wear-free photoelectric or magnetic detection. A pulse disc firmly attached to the shaft or a movable magnet carrier ensures this detection. A distinction is made between incremental and absolute encoders. Incremental encoders generate a precisely defined number of pulses per revolution. They are a measure of the angular or linear distance moved. Absolute encoders provide an absolute numerical value for each angular position even over several revolutions.

The Machinery Directive stipulates machinery should not present a risk. Since there is no zero risk, the aim is to achieve an acceptable residual risk. If safety is dependent on control systems, these must be designed so as to minimise malfunction. Safety technology in automation minimises the risk of damage to persons or installations. The ifm product range comprises a multitude of safety products including electro-sensitive protective equipment (ESPE), door switches, actuators and control systems. Unlike conventional safety switches, inductive safety sensors directly detect metal - without requiring a special target. Safety light curtains and safety light grids are used where hazardous areas must be secured. They are optoelectronic safety devices consisting of one transmitter and one receiver. They conform to the safety requirements of type 2 / SIL 1 or type 4 / SIL 3. AS-i door switches with guard locking have the function to keep moving protective equipment such as protective grating, protective guards and other covers closed as long as a dangerous state is present. The safe mushroom-headed E-stop buttons and other protective switches force a machine or installation to stop or shut down in a hazardous situation. ifm fail-safe sensors and operating elements can be connected to any safety evaluation unit, e.g. to safety relays, programmable logic modules or safe controllers. Safety components can easily be incorporated into an AS-i network via AS-Interface Safety at Work. Signals from standard units and safe components are transmitted via a common cable. For direct installation in vehicles or mobile machines, ifm provides the powerful, freely programmable 32-bit SafetyController.

The actuator-sensor interface (AS-i) is a manufacturer-independent standard for the connection of actuators and sensors of the first field level. AS-Interface has become established as an economic wiring system in industrial automation. A two-wire flat cable transmits data and energy. This considerably reduces wiring complexity since conventional parallel wiring of each sensor or actuator to the controller is no longer necessary. It also saves the user a great number of terminals, splitter boxes, input/output cards and cable lines. AS-i gateways with integrated PLC function control the data exchange to the sensor/actuator level and communicate rapidly with the superior control level. They can be used as independent, decentralised controllers or as gateways to all common fieldbus systems. The range includes interfaces with EtherNet/IP, Profibus, Profinet, EtherCAT or CANopen. The decentralised AS-Interface I/O modules connect binary and analogue sensors and actuators to the gateway or PLC via AS-Interface. Connection of the two-wire flat cable by means of insulation displacement technology ensures reverse polarity protection. Sensors and actuators are connected via proven, robust connectors.

ifm power supplies for control cabinet installation provide power to the connected controllers, sensors and actuators. They provide high noise immunity and sufficient power reserves to reliably handle short current spikes. The compact housing takes up very little space in the control cabinet. Thanks to their high degree of efficiency, the units save energy costs and reduce waste heat in the control cabinet.

The O3R platform is the holistic solution for the central, synchronized processing of image and sensor information in autonomous mobile robots such as AGVs. The simplified integration and reliable interaction of cameras and sensors enables the robust implementation of relevant functions such as collision protection, navigation and positioning. In addition, stationary tasks for the analysis and dimensioning of objects can also be implemented, which can be managed more effectively using multiple cameras. This can be the measurement of pallets, tree trunks, packages or suitcases. Powerful and open The central unit for sensory processing The core of the system is a high-performance computing unit called the Video Processing Unit (VPU), which uses yocto Linux on NVIDIA Jetson TX2 embedded hardware. Based on a Docker architecture, open development environments such as Python, C++, CUDA and ROS are supported. Up to six camera heads can be connected to the processing unit, as well as additional sensors via a Gigabit Ethernet interface, e.g. for measuring distances. All relevant "senses" that an AGV needs for safe autonomous navigation are thus available at a central point. Camera head with imager from our own development Ifm also offers suitable, powerful camera heads as part of the platform solution right from the start: The 2D/3D cameras have an opening angle of either 60° or 105° and are equipped with the latest time-of-flight imager from pmdtechnologies ag . The company of the ifm group of companies develops all sensors for the vision products of the automation specialist and tailors them precisely to the respective requirements. Thanks to the modulated infrared light, the 2D/3D camera captures objects with maximum reliability, even when exposed to increased ambient light.