Smart Sensors

Get more from your sensors investment

Icon collage containing sensors and a user at a computer with alerts on the computer screen

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

photo collage of Allen-Bradley sensor products

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

Diagram illustrating the benefits of Smart Sensors within The Connected Enterprise and how they are all connected

Click image to enlarge

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.

Photograph of person using Studio 5000 software on laptop

Smart Sensors are programmed directly within Studio 5000®

Photograph of Premier Integration software on computer screen in a control room

Just one development environment for configuring and programming sensors

Add-On-Profiles for simplified machine development, use and maintenance

Photograph of person using a mobile tablet

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 attention

Application 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 manufacturing

Application 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 reports

Adopt a Smart Sensor solution today

LEARN MORE

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