Digital transformation is creating new opportunities for industrial automation and manufacturing operations, driven by the continuing development of Industrial Ethernet and technologies such as Time Sensitive Networking (TSN). The benefits for manufacturers of embracing IIoT solutions range from reducing machine downtime to adopting entirely new business models.

But Industry 4.0, with Time-Sensitive Networking as a foundational technology, is also now forming a solid basis for implementing true IIoT networks. Global manufacturers can reap the benefits of Industry 4.0, leverage deterministic performance and capitalize on new data connectivity options in pursuit of true IT-OT convergence.

Enabling Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 enabling technologies are helping businesses to develop an increasingly digitalised, connected and data-driven manufacturing landscape. By adopting technologies that support digital transformation strategies, companies can create smart, interconnected factories.

The vision of the factory of tomorrow is one of machines, production lines, plants and entire supply chains that communicate with each other to enhance productivity, efficiency and flexibility. The benefits that can be achieved with these frameworks are significant.

Companies can combine shop floor data with higher enterprise-level information and perform advanced Big Data analytics to gain unique business intelligence. This actionable insight can then be leveraged to set up self-regulating automated processes to optimise manufacturing activities and deliver high-quality products while minimising cycle times.

So-called “value chains” are dependent on highly interconnected enterprises building on established strategies such as just-in-time manufacturing to reduce inventory costs while increasing flexibility. Moreover, businesses can streamline maintenance activities by predicting potential equipment failure ahead of time using condition-based monitoring and scheduling repairs to minimise downtime.

To help companies thrive in a world where competition is fierce and customer demand requires increasingly agile operations, automation vendors need to offer advanced solutions to help customers realise smart manufacturing strategies.

Setting new standards

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), by providing a unified yet deterministic infrastructure, has implemented a collection of standards that enables deterministic messaging over standard Ethernet networks. As defined by the IEEE, TSN offers an unprecedented form of network traffic management that ensures non-negotiable time frames for predictable, end-to-end transmission latencies.

TSN devices are synchronized to a common time reference to support real-time, deterministic communications for industrial control applications including high performance motion control. TSN also goes beyond the main IEEE standards and includes the efforts of many international organizations and companies.

TSN is essentially what many observers believe is the next stage in the evolution of standard Ethernet technologies and has the potential to satisfy the requirements of an expanded IIoT vision. Along with a set of standards for deterministic services over Ethernet, TSN is bringing together industry leaders with a common goal to fulfill the promise of Industry 4.0 and digitisation.

TSN market opportunities

TSN is recognised across different sectors as the future of industrial Ethernet and industrial communications. Consequently, interest in and adoption of the technology is growing.

These trends offer particularly exciting commercial opportunities for automation device vendors. By developing and releasing state-of-the-art products with TSN capabilities, vendors can increase their market coverage and gain a competitive advantage.

Special TSN Supplement Sponsored by the CLPA