Published in Control Engineering, January 2010

Ingersoll CM Systems Inc., in building its next generation deep fillet rolling machine, saved 60% in cost compared to previous I/O modules. Savings came from reducing the number of machine components by using economical Balluff IO-Link hubs.

by Richard Bertolone
Automotive Business Development Manager for Balluff

New IO-Link system allows for more decentralization of I/O and reduced cabinet area.

When Ingersoll CM Systems Inc. of Midland, MI, decided to build its next generation deep fillet rolling machine, engineers sought to create a more modular and expandable machine that would allow customers to easily keep pace with evolving crankshaft sizes. A I/O-based network connection technology helped save 60% in cost.

Used in rough machining production as a process to strengthen and straighten journals, a deep fillet rolling machine increases the fatigue strength of a crankshaft by up to three times. After evaluating and testing several I/O networking options in the market, those at Ingersoll determined that Balluff's IO-Link solution would be the best option to decrease cost and the number of components per machine. Gary Munger, controls engineering manager for Ingersoll, said, "The IO-Link solution resulted in a 60% cost savings over our previous I/O modules. The savings came from reducing the number of components used in the machine and using the more economical IO-Link hubs. Reducing the number and complexity of the components also reduces the possibility of failures for our customers."

Old traditional I/O system consumes more cabinet space and requires longer I/O cable runs.

Balluff IO-Link is an open, economical technology that allows for the expansion of networked I/O devices. By using low cost, standard M12 cables, the point-to-point wiring is the most cost-effective available. Balluff's IO-Link hubs contain only the I/O circuits without the cost of the full network protocol.

Switching a machine's networking architecture can sometimes be a difficult and daunting task. Using IO-Link as an expansion, Ingersoll maintained its Profibus architecture. Munger added, "Balluff supplied evaluation units for benchmark testing and the entire transition process was a relatively smooth and easy one."

By building this new generation of deep fillet machines integrated with Balluff IO-Link technology, Ingersoll can pass on significant time and cost savings to customers.

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