Get more from your sensors investment
Industrial Smart Devices
Allen-Bradley Smart Devices are an integrated, scalable solution, offering new efficiencies and reduced total cost of ownership.
Smart Devices improve product quality, reduce downtime, and future-proof your investment in smarter machines to allow smarter manufacturing.
The eyes and ears of efficient machines and equipment
Unless you are aware of what is happening on machines installed in factories minute-by-minute, it is impossible to maintain optimum productivity and efficiency at all times, or to avoid unplanned downtime and loss of production. Conventional sensors typically give on or off status. They lack the capability to communicate diagnostic or parameter data to the controller.
A Smart Sensor solution provides all the data required to create a comprehensive picture of the status of the machine or production line. As integral components of smart manufacturing, Smart Sensors are the first step in going from the real world to the virtual world.
The eyes and ears of efficient machines and equipment
Reducing sensor costs
- Set-up and maintenance of multiple sensing technologies
- Re-teaching at every production changeover
- Analog signal converting
- Replacement of damaged sensors
- Installation and wiring
- Machine commissioning
- Failure analysis
- Numerous sensor variants
Preventing unplanned machine stops
- Low margin due to dust
- Mechanical damage during production
- Incorrect set-up or instruction
- Cable break
- Swapped cable
- Material or target change during production changeover
- Contamination
- Component failure
- Short circuit
Reducing cost of downtimes
- Loss of production
- Manufacturing scrappage
- Establishing cause of failure (mechanical/electrical)
- Sensor replacement costs
- Safety issues
- Impact on other equipment
Improving maintenance
- Advanced diagnostic information
- Preventative not reactive maintenance
- Planned downtime possible
- Taking control of your plant
- Reduced maintenance costs
Increased productivity
- Reducing unplanned downtime improves productivity
- Take control of your production process
- Make fact-based decisions with advanced diagnostic information
- Faster production changeover due to multiple sensor profiles
- Faster device changeover due to auto device configuration
Smart Sensors at work
With Smart Sensors available for pressure, temperature, distance, motion, level and flow - it is possible to get a comprehensive view of your process. Knowledge of current sensor situation and status also enables timely identification of any type of potential sensor issue.Integrating Smart Sensors
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Smart Sensors provide a continuous flow of valuable process and diagnostic data to your design environment, visualization system, information software, and Logix Programmable Automation Controller - facilitating smart manufacturing and helping achieve faster time to market, lowering the total cost of ownership, improving asset utilization and managing risks.
To view all of our IO-Link enabled devices, see our smart sensing page.
Smart Manufacturing with Smart Sensors for Smart Machines
Allen-Bradley® Integrated Smart Sensor Solution and the Logix control platform helps reduce your programming time, eases start-up and commissioning, and streamlines diagnostics.
By providing consolidated controller programming and device system configuration, operation, and maintenance in the single software environment of Studio 5000®, Premier Integration helps reduce complexity and errors.
Smart Sensors are programmed directly within Studio 5000®
Just one development environment for configuring and programming sensors
Add-On-Profiles for simplified machine development, use and maintenance
Mobility-enabled - putting all relevant sensor data always at your fingertips
The value of Smart Sensors
Faster Time to Market
- Program sensors and controller in same software environment (Studio 5000® software)
- Intuitive programming simplifies initial set-up and helps mitigate logic errors
- Seamless integration with the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture lower total cost of ownership
Lower Total Cost of Ownership
- No incremental cost for Smart Sensors
- No wiring changes required when moving from Allen-Bradley hardwired sensors to Smart Sensors
- Premier Integration reduces complexity and errors
- Reduced engineering time
- Fully-configurable sensors reduce device inventory and streamline SKUs by 50%
Improved Asset Utilization
- Easy access to actionable, contextualized data that can help maximize overall equipment effectiveness and mean time between failures
- Real-time diagnostics optimize preventative maintenance and troubleshooting, reducing issue resolution time by up to 90%
- By reducing changeover time for each sensor from minutes to seconds, multiple profiles facilitate flexible manufacturing
Enterprise Risk Management
- Automatic Device Configuration capabilities reduce errors when replacing sensors
- Configuration changes restricted to authorized personnel only BOM compliance assured
Application Scenario 1 of 7
Operations information with mobility
With the machine operating normally, a sensor detects dust build-up. The operator is informed, and timely action taken. Safe operating parameters are restored and monitoring continues.
Comprehensive real-time data on production
Process data including triggered output and measurement data
Diagnostic data on sensor health and communication status
Device profile data including set point and threshold data
Monitoring and trending data on signal strength, contrast and gain
Application Scenario 2 of 7
Smart commissioning with Smart Sensors and mobility
When integrating new machines, smart sensors enable quick set-up parameters, with fast readjustments for increased performance. With the machine running at full speed, FactoryTalk® software can give continual smart monitoring of a wide range of values.
Actionable data to help maximize overall equipment effectiveness and mean time between failures
Optimize preventative maintenance and troubleshooting
Reduce issue resolution during commissioning
Reduce changeover time for each sensor from minutes to seconds
Multiple profiles facilitate flexible manufacturing
Application Scenario 3 of 7
Sensor replacement with automatic device configuration
Sensor failure can happen due to operating activities. Application Specific Naming information (ASN) guides the operator directly to the fault, with eBOM providing device vendor data and part number for fast replacement. Automatic Device Configuration downloads and configures in milliseconds, and the device is operational again after minimal downtime.
Sensor heartbeat information helps to optimise operational reliability
Simplify location of defects even in the largest machine
Automatic Device Configuration helps minimize downtime
Application Specific Naming (ASN) pinpoints device needing attentionApplication Scenario 4 of 7
Product changeover
A machine is set up for production of Product A, with smart sensors configured on the conveyor with the right parameters. At product changeover, when new production is initiated, a multiple profile download takes place simultaneously on all four sensors with the new parameters for Product B.
Multiple sensor profiles stored in the Logix controller
Extensive range of sensor parameters available
Downtime minimized and machine throughput increased by 5 to 10%
Minimizes the scrapping of products
Time stamped changes locked down
Application Scenario 5 of 7
Smart tracking and tracing
Tracking and identifying at item level is connected to Logix Controllers over EtherNet/IP, and programmed by Studio 5000® software.
Tracking and identifying packed products takes place with real time data processed in FactoryTalk® ProductionCentre® software suite to maximize production efficiency.
Products and raw materials are tracked at every stage, from manufacture to dispatch and beyond, in one engineering environment.
Radio Frequency Identification/RFID• Increased production efficiency and supply chain visibility
Barcode readers• High-performance item level tracking to help increase efficiency and improve supply chain visibility
Integrated identification products• Intuitive programming
• EtherNet/IP with Device Level Ring (DLR) assures redundant network
• Integrated in Studio 5000® offering a single design and programming environment
• FactoryTalk® ProductionCentre software suite delivers comprehensive production management functionality
Application Scenario 6 of 7
Smart commissioning detecting mis‑wired sensors during set-up
Commissioning a new machine in the production line can be faster and simpler with Smart Sensors. Incorrect wiring during commissioning can be detected quickly, and production parameters can be set up and adjusted with limited disruption or downtime.
Actionable data to help maximize overall equipment effectiveness and mean time between failure
Streamline maintenance and troubleshooting
Reduce issue resolution during commissioning
Reduce changeover time for each sensor from minutes to seconds
Multiple profiles facilitate flexible manufacturingApplication Scenario 7 of 7
Smart operation with time stamped data
Providing time-stamped alarm and event data from sensors helps ensure reliable data capture for various calculations, estimations, and statistical processes, producing information to benefit a multitude of enterprise-wide applications. This helps manufacturers to reach continuous process improvement goals with less downtime and higher OEE.
Actionable data to help maximize overall equipment effectiveness and mean time between failure
Streamline maintenance and troubleshooting
Reduce issue resolution during commissioning
Access to all historical events on the sensors available through FactoryTalk® Historian reportsAdopt a Smart Sensor solution today
IO-Link Technology is a worldwide open-standard protocol that integrates sensors and other field devices into our Connected Enterprise by connecting the IO-Link enabled device into an IO-Link master module.
The benefits of IO-Link technology include:
• Reduced inventory and operating costs
• Increased uptime/productivity
• Simplified design, installation, setup and maintenance
• Enhanced flexibility and scalability
