From a workshop for bicycles and sewing machines in 1921 to a sensor and automation specialist for the Industrial Internet of Things: Balluff distinguishes itself by constantly developing and not being satisfied with the status quo. Over the past 100 years, Balluff has developed many technical innovations – a chronological overview.
Gebhard Balluff founds a mechanical repair shop for
bicycles, motorcycles and sewing machines in Neuhausen a.d.F.
Manufacture of turnbuckles for aircraft
The spaetzle press is probably the most surprising product in Balluff’s history. In order to survive as a company after the Second World War, exotic products were also manufactured.
Production of precision parts such as the rocker arm for the legendary Mercedes-Benz “Silver Arrow” racing car
The Gebrüder Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH company from Nürtingen is looking for a partner for the production of small components.
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One year later, Balluff launches the cam switch on the market.
With it, Balluff succeeded in moving away from being a pure manufacturer
of mechanical precision parts towards automation technology.
Up until then, there were still no electromechanical switching devices
for electrical control systems that had worked under the harsh
industrial environments of a machine tool.
The Balluff switch mechanism is used in particular for presses
From mechanical to electronic: Balluff made the actual breakthrough in sensor technology at the end of the 1960s when the company started to produce a self-developed inductive proximity switch. BES sensors are now still an integral part of the product portfolio of the automation specialist.
Beginning of production for BIS industrial RFID systems:
The identification systems are a combination of data carrier,
read/write head and processor units.
Photoelectric barriers conquer the Balluff portfolio for the first time
The development of in-house products and partnerships enables a wide range of photoelectric sensors.
Non-contact, wear-free and rugged displacement measurement. Position determination is based on the innovative principle of sound propagation time on a waveguide.
Balluff is developing a supplement to the inductive proximity switch with the option of measuring short distances using an analog output.
Balluff includes capacitive sensors in its portfolio that measure certain variables based on changes in the electrical capacitance of a capacitor.
With magnetic field sensors, Balluff enabled its customers to achieve reliable and wear-free position detection on all pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders.
Balluff develops magnetic-field-resistant inductive sensors whose function is not disturbed by strong electromagnetic fields.
Balluff includes a series of incremental rotary encoders in its own portfolio.
Balluff develops its first in-house vision sensor with a partner company.
Linear and rotary displacement measurement – absolute and incremental – with resolutions up to 1 μm and measuring ranges up to 48 m.
Introduction of IO-Link as the first standardized digital interface
on the sensor/actuator level and as an enabler for the
Industrial Internet of Things.
Balluff expands its own portfolio in the area of capacitive sensors by integrating SIE Sensorik Industrie Elektronik in Viernheim.
Introduction of the first IO-Link hubs as a link between the existing discrete sensor technology and the advantages of the new IO-Link technology
First RFID read/write heads with IO-Link interface on the market
Extensive portfolio expansion in the area of connection technology with in-house portfolio of connectors and double-ended cordsets for industrial use.
The data carrier is integrated in a screw body and is used for material tracking, for example in the production of engine blocks.
Market revolution of the first IP67 unmanaged Ethernet switches with Profinet and Ethernet/IP
Market revolution with the first integrated display unit in an Ethernet networking module for configuring and diagnosing the device.
Inductive coupler for contactless energy and data transmission
BIP inductive positioning systems are up to the task even in tight installation conditions: Perfectly suitable for integration, they measure the position of metallic objects with maximum precision in a non-contacting, and, therefore, wear-free manner.
Pressure monitoring and pressure measurement of gaseous, liquid and viscous media.
Inductive coupler with IO-Link for contactless energy and data transmission
Balluff expands the systems business division
with a new business unit.
Balluff develops an RFID system for intralogistics with large reading ranges.
Balluff develops a controller for four different RFID technologies.
Through the integration of HighResolution, based in Kirchheim am Neckar, Balluff is expanding its own portfolio to include magnetic displacement and angular measurement systems.
Balluff introduces the first signal lamps that can be fully configured via IO-Link, including additional functions such as chaser light or signal horn.
Introduction of the first IO-Link converters with the aim of adapting existing analog or discrete systems to IO-Link
Development partnership with image processing specialist Matrix Vision
Strengthening of miniaturization expertise for very small optical sensors
Balluff launches a read/write head for the TS1 and TS2 transfer systems from Bosch Rexroth.
The Balluff inclination sensor measures the angle deviating from a horizontal or vertical axis up to 360°
With Mold-ID, Balluff offers an efficient solution for monitoring injection molds.
Balluff is establishing a new product series for the food industry that is made entirely of stainless steel and can therefore withstand the tough requirements of this industry.
Inductive coupler with IO-Link for contactless energy transmission and transparent, bidirectional data transmission
Balluff develops a universal mounting system for the attachment and precise positioning of Balluff sensors and devices.
Balluff develops a new motor feedback system for rotary applications.
With Easy Tool-ID, Balluff offers an easy way to recognize tool data via barcodes and to retrieve the data automatically.
Balluff launches robust and versatile LED machine lighting in a hygienic design.
Balluff becomes a new player in the market with the safety hub. The approach is based on software instead of hardware.
With the new CC-Link IE Field IO-Link Master, Balluff enters Gigabit Ethernet.
Ultra High Frequency Antenna for the BIS V Family
Balluff launches the BMF 203K programmable magnetic field sensors.
Magnetically encoded absolute displacement measurement system with IO-Link interface BML SL1
Configurable and with additional functions: the first step towards an automation system
Balluff develops the Mix-Master with 4 ports each for IO-Link Class A and B for Profinet.
Balluff launches the first universal IO-Link hub that offers maximum flexibility with 8 independent ports for universal analog signals (V/A/Temp).
Balluff publishes an IIoT concept study for predictive maintenance of injection molds in cooperation with Lufthansa Industrial Solutions.
Balluff launches a new processor unit for integration into PC systems for direct communication in the IIoT.
for applications with high chemical and thermal requirements
Balluff offers a DIY fill level sensor for flexible length adjustment and without medium contact.
Balluff is expanding its own portfolio in the field of machine vision and industrial image processing by integrating the machine vision specialist Matrix Vision from Oppenweiler.
Balluff integrates the software company iss innovative software services into the group and thus strengthens its own software expertise.
Balluff bundles its own software
expertise in the Balluff Softwarehouse.
Achieve high switching distances with less effort using the latest technology.
Triple-redundant displacement measuring system with Profibus interface for explosion-proof environment
With the further development of the Easy Tool-ID, the tool data is now recognized and retrieved via RFID technology.
Vision Controller with BVS Cockpit: Balluff develops a vision system with customer-friendly operability and multiple, high-resolution cameras.
Balluff develops thermal flow controllers for monitoring the flow of liquid media.
New high-precision laser from the diffuse sensor product family
The ultra-high temperature-resistant inductive sensors can be used in temperature ranges up to 230 °C.
Balluff develops wetted temperature sensors for monitoring and measuring the process temperature.
The all-rounder combines four photoelectric sensor principles in one sensor.
Compact and accurate displacement measurement system for cylinder applications
New miniature photoelectric sensors with background suppression
Balluff develops the IO-Link Smart Light Indicator with infrared button.
Factor 1 sensors detect all metals such as steel, aluminum, brass with the same switching distance, without reduction factor.
The multifunctional sensor provides status data on vibration, temperature, humidity and ambient pressure
Balluff launches RFID read and write heads for two RFID technologies with low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF).
Balluff sets up the Customer Project House. There, developers design
and implement customer-specific IIoT solutions.
Balluff develops high-precision photoelectric sensors especially for the semiconductor industry.
With Easy Tool-ID 2.0, tool data can be transmitted securely and quickly to the machine tool.
The redesigned magnetically encoded absolute displacement measurement system with Drive-Cliq interface provides high accuracy of position and end position in real time.
Small project teams develop new business models according to the Lean Startup method with a focus on value-added combinations of software and hardware.
Welding field-immune magnetic field sensor for intelligent position feedback detects magnetic interference fields and mitigates them.
Balluff offers the most comprehensive networking portfolio on the market with a total of eight different fieldbus variants (PNT/EIP/ECT/CCL/CIE/CIB/PBS/DNT).
With the Connected Mold-ID software from Balluff, all data of the injection molds can be recorded in a central database.
The SmartCamera Lite recognizes machine codes, text or serial numbers and supports robots in position finding.
Secure exchangeable part recognition using RFID technology and new functions such as password query prior to write and read operations
Balluff is expanding the functions of the BVS Cockpit, which makes it easy to set up and operate SmartCameras.
Balluff launches a digital position indicator that is intuitive to operate and impresses with its extended IO-Link functionality.
Besides the transmission of RFID and user data, additional information can be retrieved for intelligent condition monitoring.
The new BIS U6127 processor unit with UNIX platform: open software architecture of an RFID system
The first RFID system with integrated secure element for tamper-proof identification and data transmission
The first pure software product from Balluff is launched on the market. The Balluff Engineering Tool supports the manufacturer-independent commissioning and configuration of IO-Link devices.
Balluff revises its portfolio of rotary encoders for dimensionally accurate positioning tasks.
With the Smart Reordering System, inventories can be managed easily and intelligently and material flows can be optimized.
Balluff launches the first ultra-high frequency read/write head with IO-Link interface.
The company is celebrating its 100th anniversary under the motto “Beyond Tradition”.
Gebhard Balluff founds a mechanical repair shop for
bicycles, motorcycles and sewing machines in Neuhausen a.d.F.
Manufacture of turnbuckles for aircraft