Belden : Top 2015 Industrial Ethernet Content You Don’t Want to Miss

Keeping up-to-date is difficult when our jobs are demanding. Since you might just have missed one or two of our top Industrial Ethernet blog articles last year, I took a look at the topics that resonated most with our readers. I also reviewed our white papers and other documents to see which were downloaded most frequently.

The results show that there were two top industrial networking themes:

1. The future of industrial systems as envisioned by the Smart Factory concept

1. Related to above but more hands-on in nature, how to build industrial Ethernet infrastructure today that is designed to grow for the future

If you are a cable and connector specialist, or just want to be more informed about the networking component that is responsible for 70% of communications failures, catch up on our top content related to:

1. How to select Ethernet cables for 600V environments
2. The benefits of high performance VFD cables for powerful motors and drives

If any of these topics are of interest to you, or you want to make sure you didn't miss any of our top white papers, read on.

Before you cross 2015 off your list, review our top Industrial Ethernet content from the year.

The Smart Factory of the Future

A series of blog articles on the Smart Factory of the Future was very popular. While the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) describes enabling technologies that use IP protocols for communications, the Smart Factory more specifically describes a vision of how the IIoT is applied in manufacturing and what industrial production will look like in the future.

In brief, next generation industrial automation systems will be much more intelligent, flexible and dynamic than current systems. Machinery and equipment will have the ability to improve processes through self-optimization and autonomous decision-making. This is in stark contrast to running fixed program operations, as is the case today.

Benefits of the Smart Factory will be faster and smarter decisions and more flexible and efficient processes. This will lead to new or improved value chains and revenue streams and will be an important way for manufacturing organizations to compete in the future.

The full vision of the Smart Factory is described in the first article on this topic. A second article covered how network topology and the balance between wired / wireless applications will change. The third article looked at the data rates, cybersecurity and reliability characteristics of the industrial facilities of tomorrow.

Just as the blog article series was very popular with readers, the white paper available below was our top 2015 downloaded content. It provides more detailed and comprehensive information on Smart Factory communications technologies and is a printable document that integrates the three articles in the blog series.

How to Build the Industrial Ethernet Infrastructure of Tomorrow

Whether we are talking about Smart Factory specifically or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in general, a common theme shared between these trends is that they both predict an explosion in the number of connected devices. At the same time, more and more processes will be automated. An outcome of both of these trends is that HUGE amounts of data will be generated.

Okay, that may sound a bit scary. Let's bring it back to today and think about what you can do to get your industrial network ready. Our blog Industrial Ethernet Infrastructure - The IIoT Super Highway discusses practical steps you can take right now to be ready to handle the high numbers of devices and data flows of the future.

Another way to prepare is to move towards standardized infrastructure. An example that was of great interest to our readers is the modular infrastructure box that Belden developed in partnership with Weidmüller. The box contains:

1. Power, Ethernet networking, standardized cabling, cybersecurity, lightning & surge protection
2. Status information and measurement data through built-in OPC UA communications
3. Integrated energy management
4. An industrially hardened box with ratings ranging from IP54 to IP69K

This 'plug-and-produce' infrastructure box creates a lifeline through which manufacturing cells are supplied with everything required to perform their function. What would standardized communication infrastructure look like for your organization and what can you do to start developing it today?

Industrial wireless technology is increasing in use as manufacturing and process control systems evolve to meet the needs of both the Smart Factory and the IIoT. If you have a negative impression of the reliability of industrial wireless applications or just want to think about how this could play out for you, read our article Realize IIoT Benefits with Industrial Wireless Technology.

How to Select Ethernet Cables for 600V Environments

Content about selecting the right cable for power hungry machines was well-liked by our readers. Two articles about 600V Ethernet cable seemed to really hit home, especially one called 'The Ultimate 600V Ethernet Cable for Heavy Industry'. Though published way back in 2013, it remains one of our most read blogs in 2015. By the way, this product won a 2015 Engineers' Choice Award from the readers of Control Engineering.

A related 2015 600V Ethernet article was also a top read item. In '600V Industrial Ethernet Cable: Safety and NEC Considerations,' we address the thorny topic of how to identify Ethernet products for power-hungry equipment that easily integrates with industrial machinery AND conforms to safety regulations.

The Benefits of High Performance VFD Cables for Powerful Motors and Drives

A challenge with high power motors is choosing the right cable to connect them to Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs). VFDs control motors at variable speeds, matching the speed of the motor-driven equipment to the load requirement. This provides multiple benefits, including longer motor life, energy savings, improved process control and higher reliability.

The one drawback of VFDs is that they generate electrical noise that radiates out and can disrupt electronic equipment, network systems and even instrumentation. The way to minimize this issue is to use high performance VFD cable and if the motor is high power (200 horsepower or greater), then use parallel VFD cables.

Helping You Stay Up-to-Date on Industrial Networking Solutions

Industrial automation systems are changing at a faster pace than ever before. To help you stay up-to-date on industrial networking plus cable and connector solutions, we publish educational content twice a month on this blog.

You can subscribe to receive a short email every time we publish by clicking on the graphic below, and you can unsubscribe at any time. These communications are also the first place to learn about more detailed helpful content such as white papers, application notes and presentations.

Now you can put 2015 behind you and move onto your 2016 plans and activities. Good luck!

Related Links

Smart Factory

How to Build the Industrial Ethernet Infrastructure of the Future

How to Select Cable for High Power Motors