Industry 4.0 emphasizes that automation equipment must be networked. However, the operating environment of workshops is relatively complex and the wiring of networks is relatively difficult. This article will take an actual case of Industry 4.0 network wiring planning in a workshop to let you know the relevant matters needing attention in planning for Industry 4.0, as well as the actual practice and solutions from Molex.
Highly integrated smart factories drive the fourth industrial revolution
Industry 4.0, or the fourth industrial revolution, which is not intended to create new industrial technologies, combines all industry-related technologies, sales, and product experiences to establish flexible, efficient, and ergonomic smart factories, which are technically based on the integration of intelligent sensor control systems and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Such applications will eventually enable enterprises to build a new intelligent industrial world with perceptual consciousness, analyzing various big data to directly generate relevant product solutions that meet customer demand (demand customization), and using computers to predict some inherent conditions, such as weather forecasts, public transportation, market research data, etc, for timely and accurate production or relocation of existing resources and reduced unnecessary costs and waste.
The workshop environment is complex and the wiring is difficult
It is not easy to upgrade a factory workshop, because the factory environment is relatively harsh and complex, especially the electromagnetic environment of the workshop is quite complex, and the power of lighting, power supply, and other systems is much higher than that of conventional buildings, which will have a great impact on the transmission of network signals. In addition, the high temperature, high humidity, oil pollution, and dust impurities in the workshop will cause pollution and corrosion to the whole link interface, and will also have a great impact on the transmission of network signals.
In addition, due to the huge size of production equipment, information points within the whole workshop are few and widely distributed, increasing the length of links in a very narrow wiring space, and thus imposing very high quality requirements on products. Advanced intelligent network management systems must also be matched to help factories realize intelligent management and control, so as to reduce the workload of IT management personnel. Considering further implementation of complete intelligent production in the future, sufficient bandwidth needs to be reserved in order to meet the production demand for a long time to come.
Industrial-grade wiring ensures system safety
In order to solve the above problems, corresponding countermeasures must be taken. A PowerCat 7 S/FTP tinned copper braid plus individual pair aluminum shield structured copper cable is selected to achieve an end-to-end, full link, 360 degree shielded function, and perfectly solve the interference of complex electromagnetic environment. Compared with the solution using Cat 7A, it is also cost-effective, resulting in cost savings on the premise of meeting the use requirements of customers.
In addition, in order to prevent pollution, all exposed network outlets in the workshop adopt IP67 industrial-grade wall plates, bottom boxes and patch cords, together with bayonet-style latch receptacle-structured IP67-rated RJ45 modules, so that the whole exposed link is in a sealed environment, isolating the influence of environmental pollutants in the workshop on the link. The fiber backbone adopts an OS2 single-mode armored fiber, which has good compression and tensile properties. Each piece of production equipment is equipped with a metal equipment box with a metal din rail inside and network modules mounted on the din rails, which ensures the firm positioning of a single module and eliminates additional grounding installation, thus reducing installation and ensuring the safety of link usage.
Realizing intelligent control and completing transformation of the production line
The workshop upgrade was carried out in Bekaert's factory in Jiangyin, China. Bekaert is a Belgian enterprise, founded in 1880, with nearly 30,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of 4.4 billion euros. Bekaert occupies a leading position in global technology and the market in the field of steel wire transformation and coating. It is committed to providing the most valuable products and services to customers all over the world and has become the preferred supplier of steel wire products and solutions for customers. Bekaert entered the Chinese market and established a production base in 1990s. The accumulated investment in China has exceeded 1.4 billion euros, and currently has 20 operating sites in 10 cities in China.
With the gradual advancement of the concept of Industry 4.0 in the global market, Bekaert has also become one of the earliest enterprises in the industry to start promoting the construction of Industry 4.0 in production facilities. At present, Bekaert has begun to upgrade the existing production line, gradually realizing intelligent control of the production process, optimizing the allocation of resources, and greatly improving the production efficiency. Jiangyin Bekaert Alloy Material Co., Ltd., mainly produces new alloy materials for semiconductor radio technology and other fields, and has become the first factory to trial this concept within the Group in China.
PowerCat 6A shielded patch cords
The factory in Jiangyin has an area of 30,000 square meters. After half a year of intense construction, it successfully completed the intelligent upgrading of the whole factory area. A 30-kilometer single-mode OS2 fiber backbone is primarily installed in the whole factory area, to connect the office building, data center, and workshop IT equipment room. A 35-kilometer PowerCat 7 FTP copper cable connects the workshop IT equipment room and all production devices. 161 AP and exposed workshop monitor outlets are connected by IP 67-rated series products (wall plates, bottom boxes, patch cords, and modules). 285 sets of din rails and PowerCat 6A shield modules are installed in metal equipment boxes connected to all production devices. In addition, 4 MIIM scanners monitor 32 MIIM PowerCat 6A shielded patch panels and 32 MIIM fiber patch panels, and 731 PowerCat 6A shielded patch cords and 1050 fiber patch cords are installed in the IT equipment room.
Comprehensive upgrade of software and hardware to establish Industry 4.0 foundation
This workshop upgrade is mainly led by Molex's team. In order to better help the customer solve practical difficulties, Molex's team has made many trips between Shanghai and Jiangyin to understand the customer's needs and the actual situation on site, and actively communicated with the production department, so as to design a perfect solution for the customer.
The PowerCat 7 copper cable used in the workshop supports up to 1.2GHz bandwidth in a 100 meter link. The OS2 single mode fiber used in the backbone has the capability to support upgrades of individual pair fibers to 40G/100G/400G. The network can easily be upgraded without the need to change or add new fiber or copper cables, to meet the customer’s requirements for a future-proof solution.
In addition to the hardware planning described above, software also plays an important role. A MIIM automated infrastructure management system is adopted for all links of the whole project, which can monitor the whole physical layer in real time, facilitate IT managers to manage all network outlets and ancillary equipment in such a huge space as a workshop, and lay a good foundation for intelligent production of Industry 4.0.
Conclusion
Bekaert's project in Jiangyin, China, is intended to upgrade the factory area according to the concept of Industry 4.0. With the help of Molex's various solutions and customized services, it perfectly solves the installation problem in the complex environment of a factory workshop, demonstrating Molex's professional strength and the ability to design and manufacture products according to customer requirements. Molex's successful Bekaert project will be worth learning and referencing for manufacturers interested in developing towards Industry 4.0.