The Need for Ethernet in Industrial Applications
Overall Landscape
Ethernet is the fastest growing communication technology in industrial automation due to the need to:
High demands in production are forcing automation players to deliver maximum uptime, all the time while maintaining a high level of quality.
Challenges and Benefits of Improved Uptime
The Challenges of Improved Uptime
HOW CAN I DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS AND ACCELERATE RESOLUTION SIMPLY AND EFFECTIVELY?
Even a well-designed process, built to be fault-tolerant, will experience problems that threaten uptime. While the most frustrating issues for plant networks are intermittent problems that can occur, changeovers or adding new devices can also introduce downtime.
The Benefits of Improved Uptime
INCREASED PROFITS WITH LESS DOWNTIME
If a line builds 100 units/minute at a profit of $1/unit, one hour of downtime means $6,000/hour in lost production. In the automotive industry this is more than $20,000/minute.
REGAINED CAPACITY
Improved uptime creates additional capacity and makes a plant better able to address demand surges.
IMPROVED DIRECT LABOR COSTS
When you increase uptime, your production levels go up while labor remains the same. This decreases the labor cost per unit. In addition, employees can focus on their primary tasks and increase efficiency.
LOWER INVENTORY COSTS
Typical holding cost for many companies is 10-30% of inventory value per year. Reducing intermittent sources of downtime, such as the time needed for changeover, allows for smaller lot sizes and lower inventory levels.
Solutions
Build a SMART industrial network – one that is able to passively monitor itself and alert when action is required by choosing managed Ethernet switches.
Why Managed Switches?
When it’s important to have input and control over traffic on the LAN, it’s time to consider a managed switch.
MANAGED SWITCHES ENABLE YOU TO:
- • Configure settings specific to your needs
- • Monitor switch performance
- • Have control over how data travels and who has access to it
- • Detect, diagnose & repair problems
Red Lion’s managed Ethernet switches offer specifications FAR SUPERIOR to those of other switches. Red Lion’s proprietary and easy-to-use auto IGMP configuration enables QUICKER SETUP and LESS DOWNTIME when commissioning new devices on the network.
Here at A-tech we offer complimentary services to our customers such as consulting and on-site engineering assistance. We are always happy to answer any questions. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
For more information contact A-tech @ 800.225.6102