Edge software platforms can be a critical enabler of data-driven automation solutions. They abstract Operations Technology (OT) systems and provide the required interoperability across edge and IT/cloud processes within a smart factory.

IEB presents an interview with Hans Beckhoff, Johannes Beckhoff and Martin Rostan of Beckhoff looking back on 20 years of EtherCAT.

Beckhoff hybrid connectors and One Cable Automation has been proven in thousands of field installations. Florian Vogel from I/O Product Management discusses the technical advantages associated with these connectors and the significance of their definition within an IEC standard for decentralized automation.

Thomas Rodenbusch-Mohr, Product Cluster Manager at Hirschmann Automation and Control GmbH, a subsidiary of the Belden Group and member company of the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), explains the advantages of TSN and why Hirschmann is offering TSN-enabled products.

Orisol’s flash activator machine is an example of how TSN has been applied in a real-world application to deliver significant machine performance improvements. The resulting innovation delivers unprecedented speed and responsiveness as well as the connectivity required for smart manufacturing operations.

By providing deterministic real-time communication over Ethernet networks, TSN can help to improve the accuracy, speed, and reliability of semiconductor manufacturing processes. This can lead to increased productivity, reduced costs, and improved product quality.

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a crucial enabler of industrial digitization applications. Numerous industry stakeholders are building TSN-enabled systems to bring the proven benefits of TSN to the factory floor through technological advances and real-world applications.

Industry 4.0 is pushing the boundaries of intelligent automation. Systems solutions are paving the way toward an industrial transformation that promises unprecedented response times along with maximum performance capabilities for motion control.

As industrial Ethernet implementations continue to increase, designers have better choices for higher speeds and factory-friendly form factors. Ethernet is now the preferred industrial networking technology for discrete manufacturing, and it is also advancing in the process industries.

Integrated bridging capability built into industrial-grade wireless access points can add value to networking investments along with simplifying connectivity, management and installation for industrial use. Users face multiple challenges to ensure high-throughput, low-latency, reliable, secure and scalable networking.