IO-Link: The digital future of hygienic measuring technology

Process control technology will not be spared from the changes in digitalisation. Although the 4-20 mA current loop is still widely in use, this is increasingly being called into question. One promising alternative is the IO-Link technology.

Since its introduction in the 1950s, signalling with the 4-20 mA current loop became standard in the process control industry. Nowadays the majority of devices used in process control technology now digitally process their measurements. Despite this, when analogue transmission is needed, it leads to an inefficient series of conversions. One extremely promising approach is the IO-Link technology: IO-Link offers the range of functions of a digital interface without the complexity of a fieldbus. Originating from industrial automation, IOLink has already found broad acceptance there. Until now hygienic applications have been especially problematic, because suppliers of industrial automation did not address the demands of hygienic

processes. This problem LABOM has now solved: As an established supplier of hygienic applications in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology as well as the food sectors LABOM makes pressure and temperature transmitters with IO-Link output available.