Network convergence is a key component addressing the challenge of greater transparency identified by Industry 4.0, allowing processes and manufacturing to be highly efficient, streamlined operations.

For current industrial automation projects, organizations need to investigate which technologies will address this challenge. Existing technologies that offer features, such as gigabit Ethernet, help with this. And of course, they should also be open.

At the same time, it is important to keep an eye on the future. This means identifying current technologies that will support TSN. These are important, as they provide an upgrade path to TSN-enabled systems of the future.

Ground breaking technologies like TSN are going to continue to evolve to meet current needs while helping to shape the next industrial revolution. Machine builders and end users are going to be able to depend on TSN technology to connect their legacy systems with the systems of today and, at the same time, be able to address the complex needs of tomorrow.

TSN literally provides timeless durability. Hence it is important that vendors, machine builders and end users invest in TSN technology now, because as it continues to evolve, they will be able to stay ahead of the curve and be able to take advantage of seamless new functionality that TSN brings to the table.

Conclusion: The Business Benefits of TSN

In summary, the automation marketplace is a symbiosis of end users, who specify projects to machine builders, who in turn look for vendors who can offer products and solutions that meet these specifications. TSN can deliver benefits to all market participants as follows:

Simpler network architectures/machine designs

In general, the advantages highlighted here allow end users to reduce the number of networks required for their operations to just one. This, in turn, allows machine builders to pass on substantial decreases in costs, as less equipment is required and engineering work to design, configure and install network systems is also minimized. In addition, timescales for complete factory automation projects are decreased.

Greater process transparency and better management

The convergence supported by TSN strengthens data transfer across the enterprise, allowing end users to have greater process transparency. In effect, transparency is all about being able to extract more data from industrial processes and analyze it to gather meaningful information that helps to better understand factory floor operations. This insight can then be leveraged to optimize performance, productivity, efficiency and end product quality.

More productivity

By supporting the creation of single networks that transfer all types of traffic, it is easier to troubleshoot and identify any potential issues. Therefore, downtime associated with maintenance or repair activities can be reduced, while overall uptime can be increased. As a result, the entire end user’s manufacturing system can become more productive.

Better integration of OT and IT systems

By converging multiple types of process data, TSN offers a key way to merge OT and IT. This convergence is at the heart of data-driven smart manufacturing, as it promotes innovation and collaboration by sharing and utilizing actionable information across the entire enterprise. Consequently, by embedding TSN capabilities within their products, vendors can deliver solutions with increased interoperability, along with the capability for device data to be visible across the enterprise via cloud connectivity.