Ethernet/IP (Industrial Protocol) has been “the buzz” of the industrial process control arena for the last few years. Expanding the enterprise’s office communications network to the plant floor has well-known cost and efficiency benefits. Real time access to manufacturing data can increase plant throughput and reduce inventories while tracking the progress of customer orders can provide visibility to clear bottlenecks.

Click to view larger image

As ethernet reaches into the manufacturing area, the network hardware and structured cabling system to support the network must be robust. With the guidance of organisations such as TIA, ruggedised versions of typical office-environment data communications products are being tested and approved. Hardened industrial switches like the connectivity, when designed properly, can withstand the industrial environment. Temperature and chemical resistance, vibration resistance, and the ability to withstand wash-down, are keys to a connector’s survival on the factory floor.

To learn more about the technology of the future and what Industrial Ethernet can do for you, visit us on our stand.

Book a meeting with PANDUIT