Wireless automation insights

• Pedrini’s collaboration with CoreTigo has updated natural stone processing by integrating IO-Link Wireless technology, enhancing machine efficiency and reducing deployment complexity.
• This wireless communication protocol, designed for industrial-grade reliability, replaces costly and cumbersome slip rings, marking a significant leap toward industry 4.0 and digital transformation in manufacturing.

In the realm of industrial innovation, there is always room for improvement, as technology keeps advancing and offering new possibilities and solutions, yielding greater results. Such is the case with the recent collaboration between Pedrini, a manufacturer of natural stone processing plants and machines, and CoreTigo, a provider of industrial wireless automation solutions.

At the core of this collaboration lies IO-Link wireless’s dual nature, as both a wireless communication protocol and an industrial-grade design. Until now, these two parameters haven’t coexisted as consumer-grade wireless protocols (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) are not applicable for industrial purposes as Pedrini and other manufacturers learned, while robust and reliable industrial communication protocols by default are wired.

How does the wireless system work

CoreTigo’s IO-Link Wireless technology was implemented into Pedrini’s SPECTRA B220 planetary calibrating machine, designed for thickness grinding of natural stone slabs, including marble, granite and quartzite. Pedrini tried two methods previously:

• Using Wi-Fi as a wireless communication protocol: This led to slow connection, collision with other networks in factories and compatibility issues in different regions throughout the world.
• Using slip rings for power as well as communication: This leads to complex cabling, as well as high expenses, as communication-grade slip rings are very costly (and wear out).

As the machine and plant builder, this caused Pedrini various issues with customers before they embraced IO-Link Wireless technology.

This machinery demands real-time accuracy and control of each spindle during its high-speed operation. With CoreTigo’s IO-Link Wireless communication integrated into the SPECTRA B220, Pedrini has enhanced its capabilities and redefined the standards of efficiency and reliability in the industry.

This integration reduced deployment complexity by connecting CoreTigo’s IO-Link Wireless bridge, TigoBridge, to a multiport I/O hub that communicates current data from eight spindles simultaneously, as each SPECTRA B220 contains two calibrators, with three hub and three TigoBridge units on each; this accumulates to 48 spindles per machine.

All TigoBridge products communicate with a single IO-Link Wireless master — the TigoMaster — that collects all the data from the wireless bridges on the machine, over the air and communicates it directly to the programmable logic controller. The data is then visualized on the human-machine interface, enabling real-time machine calibration and optimization.

As each TigoMaster product incorporates 16 tracks (one per device) this allows to ultimately control five calibrators (translating into 120 spindles). More masters may be added in support of even larger machines.

Updating natural stone processing with wireless automation

The deployment of the technology enables real-time communication on Pedrini’s machinery, while operating in the harsh industrial environments, marking a shift in the natural stone processing industry.

Figure 1: The IO-Link Wireless communication protocol structure. Courtesy: CoreTigo

This is not the first time Pedrini or other manufacturers showed interest in having wireless communication on their machines, to lower slipring costs and improve communications. However, this is the first time they can do so without causing interference with other IT Wi-Fi networks in the facility. By enabling this high-end deterministic communication on the machine, Pedrini can replace costly slip rings (formerly used for power and communication) with less costly ones, used for power only. This simple retrofit of existing machines, without the need to create new ones, allowed this return on investment by saving over 60% of the cost, while providing improved communication.

Moreover, reliability has improved with CoreTigo’s IO-Link Wireless integration. The reduction in spare parts requirements and minimized wear and tear on slip rings translate to increased uptime and operational efficiency.

The power of IO-Link Wireless

Though it might seem as if it was created for this application, given its seamless integration and application fit, IO-Link Wireless was created with numerous applications in mind — expediting the journey of various industries into the Industry 4.0 era.

IO-Link Wireless, a deterministic, low-latency protocol, forms the backbone of this shift. With reliability levels unmatched by other wireless standards, it boasts a packet error rate (PER) of 1e-9, setting a new standard for performance in factory automation.

Figure 2: Eight spindles connect to each multiport hub, CoreTigo’s TigoBridge converts the hub to communicate via IO-Link Wireless. Courtesy: CoreTigo

In comparison, other wireless standards like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee demonstrate a PER that is six orders of magnitude less reliable (1e-3). This caused other manufacturers to give up on wireless communication, thinking no wireless network would be able to provide the required reliability for a manufacturing facility. Yet, once IO-Link Wireless was introduced, it was clear it was a game-changer, as it surpassed the traditional wireless protocols’ performance. Its deterministic attributes ensure high speed, reliable and scalable communication, unrivaled by nondeterministic protocols like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Though operating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical radio frequency band like many other wireless networks, IO-Link Wireless is designed to coexist harmoniously with existing networks through blocklisting and frequency hopping mechanisms. This interoperability allows the machine’s smooth operation while coexisting with local IT networks.

A repetition mechanism is also incorporated, ensuring the transmission of critical data, as well as low latency (5 msec), making sure it lives up to the requirements of the industrial applications. Other features of IO-Link wireless include the use of Gaussian frequency shift keying (GFSK) modulation. GFSK is a robust modulation for dealing with interferences. It confines emissions to a relatively narrow spectral band, making devices more immune to noise and more reliable.

Paving the way to digital transformation

The above mentioned and additional attributes of IO-Link Wireless made it a solution for integration into Pedrini’s machinery, as it embraced the industry 4.0 paradigm shift, leading the charge toward digital transformation. By leveraging advanced technologies such as IO-Link Wireless, Pedrini created a smarter industry solution, where interconnected processes enable real-time tracking of information flows and material movements. This level of visibility allows for proactive management and planning, combining the principles of industry 4.0 with those of lean manufacturing.

Figure 3: The outline of the stone processing solution architecture, connected via IO-Link Wireless. Courtesy: CoreTigo

Pedrini’s commitment to developing machines and plants that integrate with customers’ systems, resulted in this integration — creating a smart, efficient and flexible natural stone processing machine, with advanced technologies and intuitive interfaces.

In conclusion, the combination of Pedrini’s expertise in natural stone processing with CoreTigo’s wireless solutions brings efficiency, reliability and innovation in industrial automation.

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