★ Turck Multiprox Belgium – Bart Beert
Proferro NV is a leading company in the metal processing sector with over 80 years of history. Headquartered in Ypres, Belgium, the company primarily produces custom castings and provides comprehensive services such as cast iron production, machining, assembly, and joint engineering for manufacturers of agricultural machinery, mining equipment, compressors, textile machinery, and more. Proferro focuses on quality and innovation, making it a reliable long-term partner and global OEM collaborator. The company’s success is based on a large machine park with over 100 CNC machines and a professional team of approximately 600 employees. Intelligent automation is a core element of its production.
To optimize employee safety and ergonomics while improving the efficiency of production and logistics processes, the company plans to introduce Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to replace the previously used gas forklifts. Forklift drivers often need to search for suitable parts in the warehouse and perform a large number of manual scanning operations, leading to frequent errors and delays. Now, AGVs can automate the supply and removal of castings for CNC machines, achieving a high level of automation that eliminates time losses and errors caused by manual operations.
The compact TBEN-LL-16DXP block I/O module integrates sensor data and transmits it in real-time.
The QS18 photoelectric sensor reliably reacts to light reflected from objects.
Robust solutions suitable for dusty environments
Reliable control of the AGV fleet is a significant challenge, especially since this metal processing company operates in a dusty production environment that requires particularly robust solutions. Whether it is reliable sensor technology or robust systems that record and store data and transmit it to higher-level systems, both are crucial.
“Our goal is to create automated logistics solutions that ensure timely delivery of parts to machines in adjacent factories,” said Mathieu Van Den Berghe, Proferro’s transformation manager, describing the task. “Fully automated high-bay warehouses ensure that the required parts are available at the picking point. However, the presence of dust and dirt makes production itself a particularly harsh environment.” The data collection and wireless transmission systems based on sensors need to overcome these challenges and ensure the long-term smooth operation of the AGVs.
Since RFID systems equipped with visual cameras have proven too expensive due to the large number of parts, Turck proposed an integrated solution using ultrasonic and photoelectric sensors along with robust I/O modules, switches, and IIoT gateways. This overall solution stands out for its simplicity and robustness. Its foundation consists of retro-reflective sensors, ultrasonic retro-reflective sensors with switching outputs, and retro-reflective laser sensors with adjustable background suppression. It has been proven that installing ultrasonic sensors under shelves is particularly effective as it prevents the accumulation of dust. Additionally, grating and laser devices are used to detect pallets on the shelves.
To prevent dust accumulation, ultrasonic sensors are installed beneath the shelves.
Real-time transmission and flexibility through multi-protocol technology
Sensors can reliably detect the presence of pallets and continuously send this information to the core of the system – the TBEN-LL-16DXP. This compact I/O module features 16 universal digital channels that can be configured as inputs or outputs, allowing sensor data to be bundled together and transmitted in real-time to the controller. Thanks to its IP67 certification, it is dustproof and waterproof, enabling installation on-site without the need for additional control cabinets. This makes it particularly suitable for use in the harsh production environments of metal processing, meeting critical reliability and durability requirements.
Another significant advantage of this I/O module is Turck’s multi-protocol concept. This allows the module to automatically adapt to the Ethernet protocols used in the network (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, or Modbus TCP) without user intervention. This means they can be flexibly applied in different systems without complex adjustments. This versatility not only simplifies integration into existing infrastructures but also ensures that Turck’s overall solution meets future demands as it is compatible with a wide range of systems.
Robust network infrastructure and efficient data transmission
To achieve a robust network infrastructure, Turck provides the TBEN-L5-SE-M2 managed Ethernet switch. This compact 10-port switch is equipped with GBit high-speed backbone, ensuring shorter cycle times and reliable operation in IIoT with high data rates. As it can be directly installed on-site in a distributed manner, the switch also reduces the amount of required wiring.
In addition to the switch, the TX700Q is implemented as an IIoT gateway. It serves as the interface between the sensors and higher-level systems and can act as a PLC to control data transmission and processing, thereby reducing the overall complexity of the system. The TX700Q is particularly suitable for applications with lower complexity as it simplifies integration into existing infrastructures. With three RJ45 Ethernet ports and one serial port, it meets the needs for communication with different devices and systems. This gateway also supports programming logic functions using Codesys, making it easy to customize according to specific application requirements and shorten implementation time.
The combination of the TBEN-L5-SE-M2 switch and the TX700Q IIoT gateway ensures reliable and efficient data transmission with the production environment. “In addition to the hardware, Turck Multiprox also provides Codesys software solutions for integration with our WMS system. Thanks to Turck’s solutions, we can achieve autonomous and reliable control of the AGVs,” explained Van Den Berghe.
All-weather autonomous AGV control
Today, this new solution enables Proferro to reliably detect the presence of pallets and wirelessly transmit this data to higher-level systems. This information forms the basis for the autonomous control of the AGVs, ensuring their smooth operation around the clock.
“The successful implementation of this solution has two core elements,” summarized Mathieu Van Den Berghe. “On one hand, the software reduces complexity and enables easy monitoring; on the other hand, the sensors are reliable. Currently, it is evident that Turck’s components have perfect reliability and require no maintenance. Therefore, they are exactly the solution we were looking for, cost-effective and robust in performance.”
The TX7000Q IIoT gateway serves not only as the interface between sensors and higher-level systems but can also function as a PLC.
· end ·
Source | Automation Expo, September 2025 issue
Editor | Qiao Jun
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