April 12, 2022
As someone working in manufacturing or industrial automation, you understand the critical role that industrial switches play in keeping operations running smoothly.
Industrial switches are the backbone of modern factories and automated systems, powering equipment, connecting machines to critical networks, and enabling vital communication between different components across the floor.
Today's advanced manufacturing techniques like robotics, machine vision, and IoT-connected devices would be impossible without robust and reliable industrial switches. This comprehensive article will thoroughly explain how switches underpin all modern manufacturing and automation processes.
The harsh industrial environments that switches must withstand are unforgiving. Extreme temperatures, vibration, moisture, dust, and other hazards occur daily on production lines.
If your switches cannot hold up to these punishing conditions, downtime and lost productivity will result. That is why leading industrial switches feature rugged designs engineered to exceed the most stringent specifications.
Their housings are reinforced with protective coatings and seals to safeguard against corrosion and damage. Wide operating temperatures range from below freezing to over 50°C, ensuring switches keep operating no matter the conditions.
You can confidently deploy switches factory-wide, knowing their rugged construction is built for reliability in even the most demanding industrial settings.
Modern manufacturing demands the flexibility to integrate different machines, devices, and systems on the plant floor. Industrial switches support a comprehensive assortment of connection types to future-proof your network, including fibre and copper Ethernet ports with speeds from 100 Mbps to 10 GbE and beyond.
Multi-mode and single-mode fibre ports accommodate long-distance runs, while shielded twisted-pair copper ports are ideal for shorter cable lengths. With optional wireless capabilities, switches give you the connectivity versatility to implement any application.
Their extensive port options let you connect any industrial device, whether a robot, PLC, sensor, HMI, or other equipment on the line.
As automation systems generate higher bandwidth requirements and more network traffic varieties, reliable quality of service is essential for maintaining deterministic performance. Advanced industrial switches incorporate strict priority queuing to prevent lower-priority communications like large file transfers from interfering with time-sensitive machine control data.
Their granular bandwidth allocation and traffic shaping features ensure critical protocols like EtherNet/IP or PROFINET always receive sufficient throughput.
Comprehensive quality of service helps manufacturing networks deliver low and predictable real-time control latency while accommodating other traffic. You can rest assured critical automation commands will get through on time.
To fully integrate with the automation equipment on the plant floor, switches must support the networking protocols that industrial machinery relies on. Leading switches natively handle protocols like EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, and others to offload processing from other devices for improved performance.
Their dual protocol stacks even allow a single physical port to virtually separate different protocol domains, increasing flexibility for multi-vendor environments. With robust protocol handling, you gain future-proofing to incorporate new machines using the latest standards into your operations easily.
PoE switches deliver power and data over existing copper infrastructure, eliminating the need for separate power cables. This capability streamlines installation and reduces costs by allowing flexible device placement anywhere within reach of an Ethernet drop.
Switches that support the latest PoE standards, like 802.3bt PoE+ and upcoming 802.3bt PoE++, can deliver enough power for devices like industrial PCs, IP cameras, access points, and other power-hungry equipment.
With PoE, you can locate devices optimally without constraints from AC power outlets.
Given the high costs of downtime in manufacturing, redundant switch designs that eliminate single points of failure are paramount. Contemporary switches incorporate dual power supplies, stackable architectures, and media redundancy protocols to back up critical paths seamlessly.
If a power supply or network component fails, traffic will automatically fail over to the redundant path without disruption. Their comprehensive redundancy ensures continuous uptime for automation and control systems handling time-sensitive processes.
With limited IT support resources on the plant floor, switches must be configured and monitored intuitively. Leading vendors provide browser-based interfaces, SNMP, REST APIs, and scripting tools for third-party integration.
Their automatic configuration wizards simplify initial setup, while port profiles accelerate deployments across hundreds of ports. Advanced diagnostics help pinpoint issues rapidly to minimise costly downtime.
Remote management capabilities extend control beyond the factory floor as well. You'll find switches engineered for simplified operation even by non-technical personnel.
As manufacturing networks become increasingly software-defined and connected to outside systems, robust cybersecurity becomes increasingly important.
Industrial switches incorporate role-based access control, port security, DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, and other features to protect network integrity. Their network segmentation capabilities isolate sensitive control systems from untrusted networks to help comply with stringent industrial standards.
Encrypted management and secure firmware updates prevent unauthorised configuration changes from threatening uptime. Knowing that comprehensive protections help manufacturing networks stay safe and compliant, you can confidently deploy switches.
Industrial switches are truly the backbone, enabling modern manufacturing techniques through their rugged designs, flexible connectivity options, support for critical protocols, quality of service features, redundancy, ease of management, comprehensive security, and long-term services.
Manufacturers use switches daily to power equipment, connect machines, and enable vital communications across smart, automated factories.
As Industry 4.0 technologies continue advancing production techniques, industrial switches will remain the critical network infrastructure, ensuring manufacturing operations run efficiently and productively for years to come.
