Understanding Digital Transformation and Industrial Automation in Industry 4.0

Summary

Standard industrial Ethernet solutions have continued to advance over time and are used in most modern automated applications. However, traditional technologies are not equipped to overcome present limitations to offer seamless connectivity, which can boost efficiency and reliability to levels that turn smart factories into fully fledged e-F@ctories.

Interconnectivity and interoperability of a company’s network should be its strength, not its weakness

Today, many factories are still fragmented, which requires machine builders and end users to carefully consider the individual requirements of a network and technologies available to them, when embarking on a journey of digital transformation to smart manufacturing.

An example of this is the application of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which has been widely used throughout information technology (IT) to help engineers gain unique insight into the health and performance of their networks and devices. However, the operational technology (OT) side has never been able to benefit from it.

By selecting the right network technology, machine builders and end users are a step closer to achieving the unified architectures of the future

Thanks to CC-Link IE TSN, one of the industry’s most advanced network technologies, SNMP can now enhance industrial automation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications.

CC-Link IE TSN is the first open network technology to combine gigabit Ethernet bandwidth with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) allowing easier IT/OT integration in smart manufacturing to provide:

• Improved productivity
• Connection reliability
• Greater real-time performance
• Faster speeds with a larger bandwidth
• Higher accuracy in synchronization
• Better third-party network integration
• Reduced total costs

The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) engages with its partners to drive key initiatives that deliver secure and seamless connectivity

In addition to incorporating valuable protocols, the CLPA believes that interoperability should be achieved by establishing meaningful collaborations with other prominent organizations.

This is why they have developed a joint specification with PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) as well as a companion specification in association with the OPC Foundation.

In addition, the CLPA is part of the TSN Industrial Automation Conformance Collaboration (TIACC). This industry-wide initiative ensures interoperability, compatibility and unified networking architectures. This is in response to increased demand for IEC/IEEE 60802 TSN products, as the need for improved infrastructure grows with the IIoT within digital manufacturing. In effect, the resulting methodology and practices developed by the TIACC will be released for use to the entire industrial automation ecosystem to promote the alignment of TSN-compatible solutions from different vendors.