Linear drives
Electric drive with IO-Link
One of the communication interfaces that is increasingly being used in modern factories is IO-Link, a protocol that is already widely used in sensor and similar technologies.
IO-Link simplifies installation, configuration and diagnostics. To extend the benefits of this protocol to linear movements, Linak is now launching an electric drive with integrated IO-Link communication.
Linak selected the LA25 as the first actuator with IO-Link compatibility because it is both compact and powerful, making it ideal for a wide range of industrial automation applications. As all the necessary electronics are located in the actuator, both integration into an IO-Link network and the exchange of data are simple. This ensures maximum uptime because, together with the available status and diagnostic data, it allows the operator to react quickly to any event. This avoids unnecessary delays in the production process. Finally, like all other components in the network, the actuator can be configured directly from the PLC controller.
For Linak, the IO-Link journey began in the Swiss subsidiary when a customer made a request for a linear motion solution for a packaging machine - preferably IO-Link-compatible. This was the starting point for exploring the potential of IO-Link and developing the new drive together with the customer.
"We noticed that several of our customers were already using machines with IO-Link components and I also noticed a growing demand for this technology during my market research," says Livio Patera, Managing Director at Linak Switzerland. "When the opportunity arose, it made a lot of sense to develop a product together with the customer to test the capabilities of an IO-Link drive."
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