2018 PACK EXPO International
SHOW DAILY
119
October 14, 2018
Connections power the IIoT Connections cope with higher data volumes and transmission rates.
T
he Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) leads to a holistic network of equipment and enterprise resource planning across different production sites. This is possible because Industrial Ethernet and TSN technologies allow machines to communicate with other machines and networks. This data transparency and synchronization allow better capacity utilization, enable remote access to machines, capture more data and open the door to deep learning analytics and the next level of productivity.
The need for reliable connectivity components to handle ever-higher data transfer rates and volumes will continue. Connections play a vital role in handling all this data. George Stawowy, board director of Technology and Innovation at Lapp USA (Booth N-5834), describes what’s needed to successfully deploy the IIoT.
Q: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACING INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF DATA VOLUME? Stawowy: IIoT boosts data volumes, transmission speed and volume of information for any decision-making process. However, there’s a counter trend of downsizing, where the sensor preprocesses the information, so only smaller volumes of aggregated, higher-level information are transmitted instead of vast volumes of raw data.
Q: HOW DOES THE CHOICE OF CABLE IMPACT READINESS FOR IIOT? Stawowy: With the number of sensors exploding, connecting all of them poses a significant challenge. The need for reliable connectivity components to handle ever-higher data transfer rates and volumes will continue. A 100MBit/sec. Etherline cable might be good today but not sufficient for some applications tomorrow. To prepare for next-generation needs, Lapp has already developed 10Gbit/sec. cables. Also, in response to the counter trend of downsizing, we are working on a new generation of single-pair Ethernet cables, which, with only one pair of conductors instead of four, will connect faster and more easily than existing cables. Although a single-pair Ethernet cable only achieves 1 Gbit/sec., that speed is sufficient for most sensors that send aggregated data or a simple signal like “on/off.”
Q: HOW SHOULD COMPANIES PREPARE FOR DEPLOYING IIOT? Stawowy: Electrical engineers need to make sure machines are ready for performance increases and must consider flexibility in terms of interchangeability and interoperability. In the IIoT era, ease of adaptation in data communication must be the key criterion in every investment decision. Last, but not least, choose the right components. Ethernet technology suitable for the office, is not appropriate for industrial usage, where the cable has to cope with more frequency interferences, as well as chemical and mechanical stressors. For more information, visit www.lappusa.com. SD
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