Users of Vuototecnica’s 12 10 10 digital vacuum switch know it as a compact, robust, and highly precise component: a small ABS cylinder with an integrated digital display, two independent PNP outputs, and simple programming of switching points and hysteresis, which eliminates the need for a dedicated vacuum gauge.
The vacuum switch can be rotated on its axis without removing it from the fitting, ensuring the display is always in the most readable position, and offers advanced features such as unit selection, the ability to configure NO/NC contacts, parameter locking, and value comparison.
Over the years, it has become a sort of “de facto standard” not only for verifying that the vacuum level required for the application has been reached, but also for managing the supply of compressed air to the ejectors via hysteresis, resulting in significant energy savings.
Today, however, this component takes a step further toward integration with modern automation, thanks to the introduction of the IO-Link protocol.
IO-Link is an international standard for point-to-point communication between sensors/actuators and control systems, based on a bidirectional digital connection between the device and the IO-Link master, which in turn communicates with the PLC or the field network.
Unlike traditional interfaces, it does not merely transmit a simple ON/OFF signal or an analog value, but also allows for the exchange of configuration parameters, diagnostic data, and status information, all over a standard 3-wire cable.
The new version of the 12 10 10 digital vacuum switch with IO-Link interface was designed specifically to take advantage of these capabilities: it differs from the standard model by the logo and the “IO-Link” label on the housing, and allows the PLC, via the IO-Link master, to read vacuum values, output status, and any alarms in real time, but above all to remotely set and modify operating parameters.
The switching points, hysteresis, units of measurement, and other functions of the vacuum switch no longer need to be adjusted “on the machine,” but can be managed directly by the control software, with all the associated benefits in terms of startup, format change, and maintenance.
When mounted on the MSVE, MVG, and GVMM multifunction vacuum generators, the 12 10 10 vacuum switch in the IO-Link version becomes a true smart node in the automation network: the end-user’s electronics technician can set the operating values of the generators by working remotely via PLC, without having to physically go to the machine.
Another significant aspect is diagnostics: IO-Link allows not only the instantaneous vacuum value but also information on the device’s status and outputs to be reported to the PLC, simplifying operations. From a predictive maintenance perspective, this data can be collected, logged, and analyzed, helping to identify performance drops, leaks, or abnormal conditions in the vacuum circuit well in advance.
With the introduction of the IO-Link protocol on the 12 10 10 digital vacuum switch, Vuototecnica brings to the world of industrial vacuum the same philosophy that made many pressure, temperature, and position sensors “smart”: more available data, easier configuration, and truly centralized management by the PLC, without sacrificing the compactness and simplicity that made this vacuum switch a benchmark in gripping and handling applications.
