IO-Link sets store by quality
The IO-Link community is further expanding its quality management. In addition to the already existing five competence centers worldwide, with immediate effect there will be three accredited test centers which will test IO-Link units for behavior compliance with the standard.
Meanwhile, more than 135 member companies in the IO Link Community are working with IO-Link to develop and market the technology. Not only do members get free access to the overall specification of the IO-Link technology, including work statuses, fieldbus integrations, etc., they can also carry out tests and issue manufacturer declarations in their company. This manufacturer declaration guarantees the customer that the IO-Link device has been successfully tested according to the IO-Link test specification and corresponds to the IO-Link specification. Thus, there are no additional costs for external service providers. Moreover, no license fees are charged for worldwide marketing of products with the word and figurative trade mark of IO-Link.
But, there is also the possibility of bringing products to the market as IO-Link non-members. For this purpose, IO-Link has developed a new license model. This is interesting for such companies in particular, which are active in the consumer or process industry, for example, and normally have no connection to IO-Link. In individual cases, however, it may happen that an IO-Link device has been developed for a customer or a special application. In this case it makes sense to purchase a license once. After the master or the device has successfully passed through the test procedure in one of the IO-Link test centers, the device receives the test report required for the issue of the manufacturer declaration, which has to be extended every three years.
[published on 18.01.2017]
