Articles
An Engineer’s Guide to Smart, Industrial and Embedded Vision
May 5, 2025
Edge AI, data interfaces and sensing components will drive innovation.
Seeing Is Believing: Balluff’s BOS 6K Sensors Shine Bright
March 27, 2025
Balluff's BOS 6K sensor line offers high-speed, optoelectronic detection options—TOF, color, contrast, and more—all with a compact, interchangeable design.
42 Technology and Partners Demonstrate New AI-powered Pharma Line Clearance Solution
March 17, 2025
The new approach addresses common challenges by using a fully autonomous, deep-learning AI platform.
Software-designed automation (SDA) is a Mindset Change from the Hardware Approach
February 27, 2025
SDA emphasizes flexible, open-source, universal protocols and agnostic platforms.
Commissioning IO-Link Part 1: System Configuration
February 4, 2025
IO-Link devices can be inputs or outputs, and often a mix of both. In this article, learn how to interpret datasheets that list the indexes and purpose of the bytes to read and write process data.
Altix Industry Champions Interview
December 5, 2024
Each quarter we sit down with industry executives and thought leaders to discuss the trends, challenges, and best practices that are transforming their businesses. In this interview, we are joined by Dennis Lewis, CEO & Regional Vice President Americas at Balluff.
Our CNC machine tools have lots to say. Is anyone listening?
November 26, 2024
We’ve tried to make it as simple as possible for the end user by offering various toolkits that tech-savvy manufacturers can use to navigate condition monitoring and connecting devices through IO-Link.
Product Highlights from PACK EXPO 2024 in Chicago
November 6, 2024
Explore fundamental components as well as groundbreaking technologies and solutions that were showcased by industry leaders who aim to transform automation, safety and efficiency—wrapping up the week’s event.
Balluff offers a new look into quality control at VISION 2024
October 24, 2024
A sensor and automation specialist, Balluff displayed their new radar imager. The sensing unit allows manufacturers to inspect units, looking through materials like cardboard. This imager can find use in applications in quality control and other fields. Along with this all-new sensor, Balluff displayed their new extended line of machine vision cameras.
Stacklights show their true colors
September 24, 2024
The biggest benefit of using a stacklight is its ability to provide visual indication and status information in industrial environments. Smart signal towers offer this benefit plus some added flexibility.
Assessing the Differences in Smart Cameras, Industrial Cameras, and Embedded Vision
September, 2024
Smart cameras are ideal for unique inspection projects in manufacturing, whereas industrial cameras are best suited for regular industrial image processing tasks.
How to get the most from stacklights
September 18, 2024
What effects do additional colors and flashing patterns have?
IO-Link enables multi-functional sensors to be configured for a variety of operations
August 6, 2024
Balluff’s Shishir Rege explains how to unleash sensor potential to boost application effectiveness
Balluff brings Wireless IO-Link to redefine control system networking
May 1, 2024
Balluff has announced a host of products embracing wireless IO-Link, simplifying the configuration and connection process of automation communication for field I/O devices.
How industrial automation supply chain woes led to wins
January 30, 2024
Vendors and manufacturers weathered the challenges with lessons learned and applied to ensure automation components’ futures.
Safe I/O integration made easy, thanks to new Balluff CIP Safety Module
December 12, 2023
Balluff eases the stress of design, build, and troubleshooting time for safety-rated I/O devices with a new CIP safety module, engineered for rugged, on-machine installation.
Balluff’s new scanners provide flexible experience for enhanced traceability
November 14, 2023
Balluff introduced its latest 1D/2D scanners for manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics, seeking to enhance traceability and improve efficiency in production and order fulfillment.
Balluff strengthens supply chain resilience with new manufacturing hub in Mexico
November 14, 2023
Regionalized production in Aguascalientes will keep business in the Americas local, reducing lead times and fortifying the supply chain against global challenges.
Choosing between discrete, continuous position sensors for an application
November 2, 2023
Discrete and continuous position sensors offer many benefits for manufacturers, but they offer different benefits depending on the application.
Making Process Changes a Snap: Balluff’s Guided Changeover Solution
October 11, 2023
Balluff’s automated Guided Changeover Solutions seeks to solve a common production challenge: flexible adaptation between processes while maintaining tight QC tolerances.
Optimizing Productivity and Profitability in Packaging, Food & Beverage Manufacturing
September 12, 2023
Greg Molinaro of Balluff and Bob Vavra of Machine Design sit down to discuss how improving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) can address the business challenges that packaging, food & beverage manufacturers face.
Benefits of choosing simplified sensing in a manufacturing facility
August 2, 2023
Discrete sensor technology has come a long way and advanced technology offers many benefits, but there are applications where simpler solutions can provide the same benefits during a project.
Highlights and Photos from Automate 2023
May 29, 2023
Join Control Automation for a review of the show highlights and a special feature of some exciting booths visited on the last day of the Automate trade show.
Balluff BVS Identsensor: A Next Generation Code Reader
May 24, 2023
Frank Jakubec of Balluff introduces this next generation code reader.
Ethernet protocols vs. device-level protocols
May 15, 2023
How to bridge a network architecture that uses an industrial Ethernet protocol for control- and supervisory-level communications with a device-level protocol to connect sensors and actuators.
Condition Monitoring: What Are We Measuring?
April 26, 2023
The concepts of “preventive maintenance” and “condition monitoring” can mean very different things depending on the application.
News from the Automation Morning Show
March 17, 2023
A brief discussion of Balluff's IdentSensor barcode reader with IO-Link.
Day 1 Wrap-up: ATX West 2023 Show
February 8, 2023
Robots, sensors, and automation instruments were just a few of the sights and sounds from ATX West in Anaheim, CA.
Find Out Who’s Exhibiting at IME West 2023
February 7, 2023
What not to miss and where to find information about MD&M West, D&M West and ATX West.
Get a Load of This: Pneumatic Cylinder Sensor Technology
February 2, 2023
There are a number of ways to detect extension or retraction of a pneumatic cylinder and provide an electrical signal to the control system.
IO-Link Solves Industrial Automation Bottlenecks
January 12, 2023
IO-Link for industrial automation delivers simpler wiring, improved scalability, and faster setup times, and can be reconfigured on the fly.
Identifying Equipment Failures Before They Occur
December 28, 2022
By lowering condition monitoring system costs and making them easier to set up and use, users can cost-effectively move from Reactive reactive or Preventative preventative approaches to condition-based or predictive approaches.
QuickChat: Revolutionizing Overall Equipment Effectiveness in the Packaging, Food, and Beverage Industry
October 20, 2022
In this QuickChat video, Molinaro explains how he works with customers to help improve productivity.
IMTS Emphasizes the Importance of Information
September 28, 2022
The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) returned to McCormick Place in Chicago with an emphasis on improving information management and communication in manufacturing facilities.
Vision Elevates Robot Performance in Logistics
September 26, 2022
With a range of newly available and already established imaging modalities, vision guidance is helping to drive a steady ascension of robot capabilities in the logistics sector.
Improved Methods for Using Sensors in Robots
September 21, 2022
Efficiency, flexibility and visibility can be improved in manufacturing plants by using sensor-level networks to enable sensors in robots to collect better data and more of it.
Choosing Between M18 and Flatpack Proxes
September 6, 2022
While both M18s and flatpacks inductive sensors are widely used in industrial automation, there are specific differences worth considering when setting up production.
Machine Design Announces 2022 IDEA Awards Finalists for Automation & Controls
August 15, 2022
The Balluff Condition Monitoring Toolkit (CMTK) is one of the finalists this year.
What’s New with Auto ID
August 4, 2022
New technologies are helping assemblers keep track of product on the line.
A Century of Solutions
July 22, 2022
After celebrating 100 years of business and record sales, Balluff has set the wheels in motion for future growth as it increasingly seeks to dominate sensor markets across a vast range of industrial sectors.
Five Things
July 5, 2022
Here are five new products on display at last month's Automate show.
The Power of Predictive Maintenance
June 24, 2022
Sensors and AI-based software help manufacturers eliminate unplanned equipment downtime.
Keys to Success: 8 Building Blocks of Smart Fluid Power Systems
June 6, 2022
Manufacturers working to improve asset utilization and machine availability while simultaneously reducing unplanned downtime and nuisance stops are finding greater flexibility, efficiency, and visibility from incremental investments in smart fluid power components.
How IIoT, AI Can Help Make Future-Proof Manufacturing a Reality
April 12, 2022
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) offers manufacturers greater productivity and better information insights through artificial intelligence (AI) as companies look toward the factory of the future.
Balluff named to Top 10 Innovative Industrial Automation Companies to Watch in 2022 by CIO Coverage
March 31, 2022
We care for the plants, the headquarters, the machine builders, and the integrators of our customers, says Will Healy III of Balluff, Inc.
Read about CIO’s "Top 10 Innovative Industrial Automation Companies to Watch in 2022"
IIoT and AI for Future-Proof Manufacturing – Take the First Step
February 2, 2022
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sets the foundation for the factory of the future – a smart, connected factory ready to adapt to anything industry can throw at it.
Say Hello to Industry 5.0
February 1, 2022
The fifth industrial revolution is here, with the goal of putting human workers back at the center of smart factory manufacturing.
Knowing Your Machine Will Break, and What to Do About it
February 1, 2022
Keep existing equipment running with continuous condition monitoring and predictive maintenance retrofits.
Automation Sensor Basics: A Crash Course in Sensor Technologies
December 3, 2021
Knowing the basics of how sensors work and what to choose will help you be a more informed and valuable member of the automation team.
How Using Automation Increases Retention
November 1, 2021
Lisa Ryan, CSP of The Manufacturers’ Network Podcast and Balluff’s Will Healy, III, talk about the impact technology strategy has on HR strategy.
Instrumented HPUs are a Smart Move
October 25, 2021
Today’s manufacturing plants have fewer people, so routine yet important monitoring of hydraulic power units can often fall short. An effective workaround is to inject HPUs with some smarts.
Automation and Robotics Key to Overcoming Labor and Other Industry Challenges
September 19, 2021
Business strategies should include automation and robotics to help extend the careers of experienced employees while also making work easier and safer.
Continuous and Exacting Measurements Deliver New Levels of Quality Control
September 15, 2021
Using continuous measurements reduces or even eliminates the production of faulty products and allows for consistent and repeatable production.
Five Ways To Improve Operational Excellence in Robotic Welding Automation
September 14, 2021
Robotic welding automation, more common for many manufacturers, but it is fraught with potential issues that takes time and effort to resolve.
Why RFID Tagging of Toolholders Is a Very Smart Idea
August 3, 2021
It is an excellent way to transfer data from a presetter to the machine tool, and from there to an external software system.
Three Ways Manufacturers Can Gracefully Transition Through the “Silver Tsunami”
July 15, 2021
Transition through the storm successfully by implementing three simple actions.
Sensors for Working Safely With Robots
June 3, 2021
Human-robot collaboration is driving demand for new technology.
Eliminating Downtime in Manufacturing
March 31, 2021
A conversation about the culture of automation and the pace of change, and the challenge of the gap of manufacturing jobs available and the need for automation.
Contact-Free Sensor Solutions for Harsh Environments
March 19, 2021
With no mechanical wear, magnetostrictive and inductive technologies meet a range of size, speed and resolution needs.
2021 Leadership in Automation: First Team Honorees
February 19, 2021
Automation World’s Leadership in Automation program reflects reader input on the companies they recognize as being outstanding suppliers of industrial automation technologies.
Sensor Fusion: The Swiss Army Knife of Digitalization
February 12, 2021
With the proper communication protocols and network architecture in place, smart sensor technology and the data it provides can be the bulwark on which digital transformation is built.
Stressed Out: Extending the Life of Hydraulic Cylinder Position Sensors
February 1, 2021
Specialized product variations can deliver a longer and more reliable service life under adverse operating conditions.
6 Smart Trends Manufacturers Must Embrace for Success in 2021
January 29, 2021
Changes that have been stewing for years have come to maturity.
Cracking the (Weld) Nut of Automated Operational Excellence
December 9, 2020
How a mindset change and a long-term view boosts performance in welding automation.
The Freedom of the Absolute: Let the Application Guide Your Encoder Choice
September 3, 2020
Why absolute encoders are the best choice when exact position needs to be known.
Reading Codes on the Assembly Line
August 4, 2020
Many assembly operations begin with the scanning of a 1D or 2D bar code.
Customized, Cost-Effective, and Easy-To-Integrate Vision Solutions
May 19, 2020
Balluff’s advantage in the market is affordability, functionality, and support.
Updating Legacy Equipment for Industry 4.0
May 15, 2020
Many types of older assembly equipment can be IIoT-enabled quickly, easily and cost-effectively.
How To Boost Productivity Throughout a Smart Machine’s Life
January 9, 2020
Seldom have we focused on the machine itself.
Why RFID Is the VIP of 2019
October 2, 2019
With the Smart Factory concept being driven around the globe, RFID has emerged from the shadows and taken its place in the spotlight.
Laser Sensors and Automated Assembly
July 6, 2019
Very accurate and super fast, these noncontact sensors are ideal for various measurement, inspection and defect-detection applications.
What’s the Difference Between Industrial IoT and Industry 4.0?
October 17, 2018
Investing in IIoT and Industry 4.0 applications has become a requirement, whether you are a “mechanical-only” company or not.
New Flow Switches From Balluff Warn Users of Reduction in Flow
September 26, 2018
The recently released BFF series of flow sensors, which are available in both thread-in and inline versions, provide a switching output that is activated when the flow falls below a user-defined rate.
Balluff Puts Interoperability of IO-Link on Display at IMTS
August 29, 2018
IO-Link comes with many advantages, but the most important one for most adopters is its ability to work with existing industrial network infrastructures.
IIoT-Integrated Sensors Connect Machines to Mobile Devices
July 11, 2018
Watch the interview from FABTECH Canada between Balluff's Chris Duncan and James Anderton from Engineering.com.
New Sensing Surface on Inductive Sensors for Welding
June 29, 2018
With weld-spatter burnthrough a constant challenge with inductive sensors in automated welding applications, Balluff has announced the new BES R01 series of inductive flatpack sensors.
Balluff Creates Sensor Protection Device To Reduce Impact Damage
May 25, 2018
Balluff has introduced Face Savers — a game-changing accessory to extend sensor life.
Which Devices Do It All For Presence Sensing?
April 19, 2018
How to choose between proximity sensor, photo eye and fiberoptic sensor.
True-Color Sensor With IO-Link Ensures Consistent Color Verification
April 18, 2018
Verification of product color is a constant challenge for many industries. This is why Balluff has launched its BFS 33M true color sensor with IO-Link to provide a solution to this challenge.
Simplify Press Maintenance and Management Through IIoT Innovation
April 17, 2018
Press builder Eagle Press & Equipment is using machine-mount I/O and the technology of IO-Link.
The Stack Light Gets Brighter
March 19, 2018
New technology adds intelligence and customization to industry's time-tested indicator of machine state.
New Balluff 18-mm IO-Link Photoelectric Smart Sensor
March 19, 2018
Balluff released added functionality to its standard 18-mm tubular photoelectric sensors.
The Key Advantages of IO-Link
March 13, 2018
Simple ways that IO-Link can save you money and improve your equipment effectiveness during design, build or production.
