With Industry 4.0 came the next generation of factory automation. This technology was aimed at improving the efficiency of factories with automated machines that operated on fast-moving production lines. But now, with more and more data needing to be transferred across increasingly burdened Ethernet networks, the information can be become slowed or delayed. The results? Less efficient operations and, ultimately, less output – outcomes completely counterintuitive to the original goals. TSN has been developed to overcome these challenges, but it can also be used within a transportation environment to great effect.

Companies far and wide have come to appreciate IO-Link technology for its easy installation as well for being the first standardized protocol of its kind, resulting in its increased implementation in fieldbus systems established in the market. This makes the fieldbus-independent IO-Link standard the ideal solution for many companies, as it allows them to connect products to different systems and controllers worldwide.

The drive for productivity and high-availability manufacturing means you likely don't have the time you would like to learn new things – even if doing so would ultimately save you time. If you're relatively new to industrial Ethernet networking and the equipment that comes with it, you might be surprised to learn of the time-saving capabilities available in managed switches today. With the right background and knowledge, you can get your network switches up and running fast and easy.

Digitization with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies is allowing industrial companies to play a major role in the new digital economy. In a world of fast-evolving demand requirements, the simplification of connectivity turns big data and information into a resource that can be put to work to create business improvements.

As companies compete to get their products to market faster and cheaper, they need simple solutions to enable near-immediate implementation. However, there’s no time or budget for special tools or expensive, highly-trained engineers and electricians. Today, we’re discussing how upgrading to a specific type of I/O module – distributed control units (DCUs) – can deliver a new level of efficiency and affordable automation to smart factories.