I/O Blocks Control Roller Conveyor Modules

Decentralized control of conveyor system modules avoids long cycle times, makes commissioning faster and reduces wiring costs

In automatic conveyor system modules within a logistics system, roller conveyors transport containers or transport boxes. Optical sensors trigger and stop the motors in the roller conveyor. Other modules are used as switches, turntables or stoppers.

Your Benefits

Offline tests make commissioning faster
Low wiring costs and smaller PLCs reduce the overall cost
Controller in the I/O module shortens response times

Long cycle times cause problems in large conveyor systems with many nodes
Decentralized I/O modules with integrated logic control the motors of the roller conveyors
The modules are individually assembled for the end customer
The decentralized controller helps speed up processes and avoid errors

Solution for Problems Caused By Long Cycle Times

Centrally controlled plants in which a PLC issues the control commands for the entire plant are often subject to long cycle times even with high-performance controllers — especially when networks comprise many nodes, as is often the case in intralogistics systems. If this results in the PLC reacting too late, the containers can become congested or be controlled incorrectly. These errors require manual intervention in the plant, but could be avoided by implementing decentralized solutions.

Decentralized Control with Fast Response Times

I/O modules with integrated logic control conveyor system modules independently. Actuators and sensors are connected directly in the field to the IP67 I/O block. With a response time of 2 milliseconds, the decentralized solution in large plants works much faster than centralized controllers. The conveyer speed can therefore be increased if necessary, which in turn increases the performance of the entire plant. Signal lights can also be activated quickly and easily on site. The logic control function is integrated free of charge in all Turck block I/O modules (IP20 or IP67).

ARGEE Intuitive Programming Interface

The modules are programmed directly by the programming interface ARGEE on the integrated web browser. A flowchart view allows the modules to be programmed without the need to write program code. Established and tested programs can be easily transferred to other modules of the same type.

Module Tests without Controller Speed Up Commissioning

The decentralized controller allows conveyor system modules to be fully tested in the factory. This speeds up commissioning for the end customer and eliminates time-consuming troubleshooting during installation and commissioning.

I/O Hubs Reduce Wiring Costs

The user can access all logic control functions on all block I/O modules free of charge. This also includes the TBEN-S and TBEN-L series I/O-Link masters. This allows the wiring for the simple switching signals to be routed through I/O-Link junction boxes. IO-Link devices are connected to the master via these I/O hubs, allowing up to 16 switching signals to be connected via a single IO-Link port. This massively reduces the cost of wiring. In this application, the decentralized components process the large amount of data to identify relevant information that is communicated to the controller, thus reducing the amount of communication to the controller. The bottom line is that choosing a less powerful PLC also reduces costs. The lack of protective housing on the module also saves installation costs, since the IP67 blocks are mounted directly on the roller conveyors.

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