Industry 4.0 continues to push connected devices and more data from the control system to guide remote equipment monitoring. To bring smart touch and force sensor technology to connectors and components, TE Connectivity has partnered with tacterion. The collaboration will combine TE’s connectors and taciterion’s sensor technology for predictive maintenance, condition monitoring and safety applications. The first product is planned for a 2023 launch.
The patented touch and force sensor technology from tacterion, called plyon, can make any surface smart with sensors that are 0.5 to 0.7 mm thick with a bending radius as small as 1 cm. The sensors maintain their full measurement range at different thicknesses and bending radiuses, known for their flexibility, robustness and high signal integrity when bent or used on curved surfaces. The company said the sensors are durable, resistant to static loads and suited for demanding industrial environments. With tacterion’s drift compensation technology, the sensors provide a nearly drift-free readout over time.
TE will use plyon sensor technology with its Intercontec connectors, used in servo motors, robots and machines. Known for reliability, the components can enhance equipment maintenance with tacterion’s sensor technology, which will monitor the condition of connectors and report malfunctions, such as deviations or an open connector to the higher-level monitoring system. Predictive maintenance helps end users reduce costs and minimize machine downtime.
“tacterion not only offers compelling and innovative sensor technology but also has an agile and dedicated engineering team,” said Alex Megej, CTO of TE Industrial. “Together, we will develop smart connector solutions that help customers drive the digitalization of their facilities and bring the plyon technology to applications across different industries.”
“We are excited to work with TE and to show how powerful our sensors are, even in harsh production environments,” said Michael Strohmayr, CEO of tacterion. His brother Daniel Strohmayr, CEO of tacterion, added, “New types of sensors are essential for a truly digitized Industry 4.0, and together with TE we can bring more intelligence—and cost savings potential—to the production floor.”
