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Power Up: Utilities Must Get Ready To Meet Rising Energy Demand

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Written by Guilhermme Lisboa and Aman Sheth

 

Recent U.S. energy demand has remained stagnant—until now. Find out how power transmission and distribution companies should prepare for the surge ahead.

Over the past few decades, U.S. energy demand has remained stagnant. Upcoming decades, however, will tell a much different story.

 

In fact, the country is already seeing spikes in energy use. In 2023, for example, grid planners virtually doubled their five-year forecast for load growth (from 2.6% to 4.7%). By 2028, they predict peak demand growth of 38 GW—and this growth will continue to trend upward. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that energy demand will rise to 4.112 billion kWh this year and will stretch to 4.123 billion kWh next year.

What’s Driving Higher Energy Demand?

As the economy, businesses and consumers become more electrified, they create new kinds of energy loads. Here are three examples:

Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the move—literally and figuratively. As more EVs hit the road, they’re also making energy mobile, consuming energy from different places on the grid at different times, depending on when and where they charge. This requires dynamic, real-time control over the grid so electrons can be pushed to wherever they’re needed.

Data Centers

As data centers handle new demands ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to virtual reality (VR), they play an increasingly critical role in our digital world—and they consume more power. According to commercial real estate advisor Newmark, U.S. data center power consumption will reach 35 GW by 2030, which is almost double the energy they consumed in 2022. As the world becomes more tech-forward, data center deployment will continue.

Industrial Processes

With record investments in U.S. manufacturing supported by key legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the industry is experiencing significant momentum. And many manufacturing and industrial processes require heat—which will require more energy.

 

What This All Means for Power Transmission and Distribution Companies

The time to prepare for more energy demand is now. Grid infrastructure must be ready to support double-digit load increases in relatively short order, which requires rapid planning for and construction of new power generation and transmission systems.

More Power Generation

As energy demand increases, more power generation will be needed. Because energy transition is moving consumers away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable energy, much of this power generation may happen by adding more wind farms, solar farms and other types of renewable energy sources. Traditional power plants, such as gas-fired plants, will also be needed.

More Transmission Lines

Even more challenging than increasing generation is increasing the country’s number of transmission and distribution lines, which carry energy from where it’s generated to where it’s consumed.

In California, for example, it can take 10 years or longer to build a single high-voltage transmission line. The process involves numerous stakeholders, from landowners who must agree on the line’s route to regulatory bodies that must approve and oversee their construction. Also creating challenges is the grid itself, which is undersized, is many decades old and can’t always support increased power transmission and distribution.

Remember: The grid was designed in and for an earlier era. While it has handled growing energy demands so far, it has a limited capacity to do so in the future. Increasing the flow of electrons on the grid could overload infrastructure and impact voltage and frequency stability.

More Substations

In addition to more lines, power transmission and distribution companies will also need more substations to improve grid resilience, integrate renewable sources of energy, reduce the distance between power generation and consumers and distribute energy loads evenly.

Tomorrow’s substations will need to be intelligent to handle more real-time data—from voltage, flow and current measurements to fault detection, event logging and maintenance records. These digital substations use sensors and this real-time data to support remote monitoring and control, enable digital communication and promote efficient, profitable power supply.

Because they contain their own computers, storage, networking, power, cooling and other infrastructure for given workloads, some even refer to these substations as micro data centers.

More Energy Storage

Energy sources like solar and wind aren’t always predictable. Unlike traditional power plants that generate the same amount of energy at the same times, variables like weather, system orientation and maintenance impact renewable energy generation.

Storage systems act as a warehouse to stock pile energy surpluses that are generated during sunny or windy periods—by consumers’ residential systems as well as utilities’ commercial systems—so it can be released when these resources aren’t as plentiful. This ensures a consistent supply of power and can protect against fluctuations in output or prevent voltage drops and blackouts.

New Job Roles

Remember what we said about digital substations becoming data centers? As this transformation happens, power transmission and distribution teams will need new skills.

A data center environment operates much differently than an operational technology (OT) environment (such as a traditional substation). Utility companies will need IT professionals to oversee software and hardware capabilities in complex substation environments that will include servers and other networking equipment.

In some cases, hiring may be necessary. In other cases, upskilling for existing OT team members can help fill gaps.

It’s Time to Accelerate Digitization

As society progresses and consumes more energy per capita, we all have a responsibility to generate, transmit and distribute energy in a sustainable manner.

Belden enables power transmission and distribution companies to accelerate digitization and outperform industry benchmarks in operational areas like substation automation systems, smart grids and load dispatch centers.

The experts and consultants in our Customer Innovation Centers can help you create a digital roadmap so you can start to prepare now for the surge in energy demand ahead and take advantage of the data being captured by your digital substations to improve operations.

 

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The Time to Build a Foundation for Energy Transition Is Now

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Written by Guilhermme Lisboa and Aman Sheth

 

Digitalization can facilitate capabilities that will help power transmission and distribution companies support energy transition.

As the world relies on fossil fuels for energy production and generation, the effects can be far-reaching—from potential property damage to an increase in greenhouse-gas emissions.

The concept of energy transition is changing how people obtain and use energy, moving them away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable energy options.

Countries and U.S. states are moving at their own pace toward energy transition—some faster than others. Within the United States, California, for instance, has an ambitious plan to achieve 100% clean energy by 2045. By 2030, the state plans to source 60% of energy from renewables. Washington State is calling for utilities to phase out coal-fired electricity from state portfolios by 2025 and achieve 100% clean energy by 2045.

While these targets are admirable (and many would argue necessary), they’re also going to be tough to meet in many cases due to the condition and age of power transmission and distribution infrastructure.

The current U.S. grid, for example, is several decades old. It’s also designed to be unidirectional (with power flowing in one direction from the grid to the consumer). But future power demands call for a bidirectional grid (power flowing to the consumer and also back to the grid) to support:

  • Integration of renewable energy systems that allow consumers to infuse excess power generated by their solar and wind systems back into the grid
  • Decentralization that enables energy to be generated closer to where it will be used
  • Increased resilience by allowing stored energy to be tapped for backup power during outages
  • Flexibility for energy flow that moves based on demand (consider electric vehicles, for example)

 

While target dates may seem far away—2030, 2045, etc.—they aren’t as far off as they seem. As power transmission and distribution companies work toward these goals, their efforts are further complicated by increasing energy loads due to factors like:

  • New types of electricity users joining the grid, including electric vehicles and electric heat pumps
  • Electricity consumption from data centers to train and run artificial intelligence
  • Population and economic growth

This all means more transmission and distribution lines, more substations and more communications infrastructure amid this energy transition.

Digitalization: The Energy Transition Enabler

With clean-energy targets in place, power transmission and distribution companies must respond—and the only way they can do so is through digital transformation. According to the latest World Energy Investment report, grid-related investments in digital technologies was expected to reach 19% of total grid investment in 2023.

 

Energy transition requires more sophisticated grids—and refined management and control of these grids. It will also require power transmission and distribution companies to scale quickly.

Consider Brazil as an example of what can happen if your company isn’t prepared. Because of the country’s growth in clean energy and the creation of micro and mini power distributed generation, energy surpluses are being injected back into to Brazil’s grid—but its existing infrastructure isn’t equipped for it, which is causing reliability issues.

That’s where digitalization comes in. It can facilitate new capabilities to support energy transition, such as the three examples below.

1. Enabling Digital Substations

Digital substations replace analog components with digital components (think relays, meters, protection systems, etc.). Digital components are also connected through fiber optic cables.

These substations are almost like micro data centers, with infrastructure that provides power transmission and distribution companies with the capability to capture, utilize and transmit accurate, real-time data.

The digital operations, technologies, methods and processes enabled by digital substations support better visualization for system awareness and resilience. They also give utilities deeper access to their connected digital systems and the opportunity to standardize their data.

2. Supporting Operational Insights

Digital transformation enables power transmission and distribution companies to capture real-time data from their infrastructure (such as through the digital substations we mentioned above) so they can monitor and respond to:

  • Energy demand
  • The mix of energy sources being fed into the grid
  • System uptime
  • Performance issues

The ability to monitor not only operational technology (OT) data, but also data about network performance, will help utilities gain insight into network reliability to gauge problems like congestion or unauthorized access.

3. Enacting Predictive Maintenance

Through devices like sensors, smart meters and SCADA systems, utilities can monitor the condition of their systems and assets to detect operational anomalies, such as abnormal temperature readings or increased vibration.

 

These indicators may be early warning signs of failure. When deviations occur, alerts can automatically be sent to the correct teams so they can prioritize, respond to and address maintenance activities before they escalate to downtime.

 

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IT Security vs. OT Security: What Are The Key Differences?

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When most people think about cybersecurity, IT security comes to mind—but OT security is also crucial to protect digital assets and critical infrastructure.

As IT-OT convergence continues, bridging the gap between the two technology disciplines is crucial to create a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that protects digital assets and safeguards critical infrastructure.

OT security and IT security are both essential aspects of this strategy. Let’s explore some of the differences and similarities between the two security approaches.

 

Scope & Focus

IT Security

When most people think about cybersecurity, IT security comes to mind. It protects an organization’s information technology systems—which include networks, servers, computers, devices and business data—from malicious activity, breaches, unauthorized access and other types of cyberattacks.

The goal of IT security is to maintain data integrity while protecting an organization’s sensitive enterprise data, ensuring confidentiality and stopping unauthorized users and devices from gaining access to corporate information.

In IT, critical security threats often include data breaches, intellectual property theft and other security incidents that could lead to financial loss, reputational damage or compliance issues.

 

OT Security

As opposed to securing enterprise systems, OT security secures industrial control systems, such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. It also protects the physical processes and machinery that support a plant.

The goal of OT security is to prevent cyber-related issues that can cause operational disruptions. Unplanned downtime in an industrial environment can lead to lost production, missed delivery deadlines and inefficient use of staff resources.

It also aims to prevent the compromise of safety and control systems, as well as the disruption of essential services (think water, gas and electricity) or critical infrastructure, by guarding against breaches or attacks that can create safety hazards, equipment damage, physical harm or environmental risks. These can occur when cyberattacks manipulate settings or processes, tamper with systems or cause equipment malfunction.

 

Technology and Environment

IT Security

An IT environment is usually made up of general-purpose computing devices, such as laptops, desktops, printers, servers, cloud infrastructure, mobile devices and web applications. They can be found in almost any office.

As technology and needs change, the lifecycle of these devices tends to be short. They’re often updated or replaced every few years as they become outdated, less efficient or more vulnerable to security risks. As off-the-shelf devices, they usually run on common operating systems and are straightforward to replace.

IT security helps support use of these devices and systems for safe collaboration and file-sharing, internal and external communication and outreach, accounting and financial processes.

 

OT Security

An OT environment involves specialized devices like sensors, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), distributed control systems (DCSs) and industrial machinery. Instead of being housed in offices, these rugged devices can be found right on the plant floor as they support productivity, monitoring and control.

The lifecycle of OT systems tends to be longer than the lifecycle of IT devices and systems. OT systems may be purpose-built for specific applications or environments, running on specialized software and proprietary protocols. As a result, they’re not upgraded or replaced as often as IT equipment.

Real-time operations are critical in OT environments to make sure a plant can facilitate smooth processes, adjust to changing conditions and detect anomalies or hazardous conditions—all while keeping legacy systems and proprietary protocols in mind.

 

Risk Tolerance

IT Security

IT tends to be more dynamic and faster to respond to immediate threats through regular patching, software updates and vulnerability management. These are common IT practices to reduce the risk of cyberattacks.

 

Because IT environments typically include several similar types of devices, the same patch or upgrade can often be rolled out to many machines at once. They can also be scheduled during periods of office downtime to minimize productivity impacts.

 

OT Security

On the plant floor, safety and reliability are front and center. Anything that could potentially impact operations is approached slowly and carefully. The steps often taken in IT to reduce threats, such as immediate patching and running updates, aren’t as accelerated for OT due to constraints like specialized hardware, legacy systems and long lifecycles.

Scheduling downtime to install patches or updates can disrupt critical processes that may negatively impact production and safety. Because OT prioritizes production and physical safety, some vulnerabilities may remain unpatched for extended periods of time as teams assess complexity, compatibility and possible consequences.

 

Regulatory Landscape

IT Security

Depending on the business or industry, IT environments are often subject to specific industry standards and regulations covering data protection. Consider Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which governs security practices for handling credit card data, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for patient health information and healthcare settings. Non-compliance can result in fines and penalties.

 

OT Security

Critical industries, such as energy, manufacturing, transportation and utilities, are subject to their own OT security regulations and standards. These compliance requirements often differ from traditional IT security regulations because they prioritize safety, reliability and availability of machinery and processes, with a goal of protecting equipment and infrastructure vs. databases or software.

Frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework SP 800-82 and IEC 62443 are used in some industries for guidance on things like risk assessment, security controls, incident response and reporting obligations.

 

Skillset and Expertise

IT Security

The professionals who work in IT security require a deep understanding of things like network security, endpoint protection, application security and data security. Because they work closely with data, networks and software, their knowledge lies in addressing traditional cyber threats, such as malware, phishing and unauthorized access.

 

OT Security

OT security professionals require a deep understanding of industrial processes, SCADA systems and ICS protocols. Because they work with physical processes and industrial systems, these professionals must have expertise in securing complex physical systems and mitigating cyber risks to equipment and infrastructure.

 

Helping You Strengthen OT Security

Belden and its brands, including macmon, can help you navigate IT-OT convergence so you can experience the benefits it offers, while reducing the risks it can bring to OT security and systems.

Our broad portfolio of industrial cybersecurity solutions offers visibility to and protection from events that threaten the safety, quality and productivity of control systems.

 

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Written by Patrick Deruytter

To Dress or Not to Dress: Cable Combing for Category 6A Cabling

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Written by Henry Franc

Cable combing or dressing creates neat, organized cables with parallel runs, while also reducing installation time. But find out how it impacts the performance of Category 6A cables.

When your cable installation is exposed and visible, such as in open, overhead cable trays or racks and cabinets, you want it to look professional and pristine. Tangled and misaligned cables are not only unsightly, but also can lead to performance issues if they’re kinked or bent.

That’s where cable combing or dressing comes in. It helps create neat, organized cables with parallel runs. It also reduces labor costs and installation time when multiple cables must be untangled and bundled during a project.

When it comes to lower grades of copper cabling, such as Category 5e and Category 6, combing has always been a regular and recommended practice during installation. But the introduction of Category 6A changed that.

 

How did Category 6A cables change combing practices?

While Category 6A cabling was being developed prior to approval in 2008, it brought with it higher levels of frequency and noise to support 500 MHz of data transmission bandwidth.

But noise sensitivity increases at higher frequencies. As bandwidth increased, so did the importance of controlling cable noise to ensure proper data transmission. First-generation 10GBASE-T systems were so sensitive to noise, in fact, that engineers had to take cell phones out of their pockets before entering lab spaces.

It was also discovered that running Category 6A cables and connectors in parallel was a main contributor to noise—a type of interference we now call “alien crosstalk.”

With lower grades of Category cable and connectors like Category 5e and Category 6, alien crosstalk wasn’t a problem—because it didn’t exist.

Alien crosstalk occurs when a signal on one cable (the “aggressor”) induces noise to the signal of an adjacent cable (the “victim”). Victim and aggressor signals impact each other the most when in parallel. This is why a cable’s copper wires are twisted into pairs: to balance the conductors of a pair and ensure that the differential signal remains equal and opposite. Alien crosstalk must be managed so it doesn’t cause performance issues.

It’s also different from near-end crosstalk (NEXT) and far-end crosstalk (FEXT), which occur within a single cable. Because NEXT and FEXT can be measured and predicted, they can be remediated through digital signal processing. But alien crosstalk is unpredictable interference that comes from outside the cable.

To address this noise-sensitivity issue, manufacturers tried all types of solutions and designs. They did everything from creating cables with very large ODs to using spacers that coiled around the four pairs in an attempt to separate and randomize interfering signals.

Still, due to this level of interference, many manufacturers advised against cable combing for Category 6A—and they still do today.

 

Cable Combing for Category 6A: yes or no?

Today, we often receive questions about cable combing. It was such a common practice with Category 5e and Category 6, but should it be done with Category 6A, given what we learned above? What do best practices dictate?

Here’s our answer: If you use Category 6A solutions from Belden, then cable combing is still fine.

These cables feature our EquiBlock™ design, which provides an equal potential barrier to minimize alien crosstalk to adjacent cables.

We also test our cables to worst-case conditions, using a combed, six-around-one configuration. Six outer cables are laid around a center cable, and cables are tied every 6 to 8 inches along the full length of the channel, bringing connectors closer together as well. Many manufacturers can’t pass six-around-one configuration with four connectors in a shortened (24 m) channel.

Belden passes this testing because its cables and connectors are designed with the best possible balance to exceed all performance characteristics and parameters specified in the Category 6A standard, including alien crosstalk, insertion loss and return loss. And our REVConnect® Connectors provide the best controlled electrical performance possible.

So go ahead—be proud of your installation work and comb your Category 6A cables from Belden if you want. In fact, we encourage it!

It’s important to note, however, that it may be problematic to comb Category 6A cables from other vendors. If another cable manufacturer advises against combing or dressing, then it’s probably wise to listen. Their Category 6A cables likely require randomization (a less tidy installation) to eliminate the potential for alien crosstalk and degraded performance.

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NetModule’s Success Story – Rhaetian Railway’s WiFi Solution

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Written by NetModule

The Project

The Rhaetian Railway transports twelve million passengers on adventurous journeys through Graubünden every year. One third of the 385-kilometre-long route network is 1500 metres above sea level. One third is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thanks to the panoramic Bernina Express and Glacier Express trains and with the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscape being named a UNESCO World Heritage, the railway enjoys a global reputation.

In 2016, onway ag (formerly WLAN-Partner AG) installed Public-WiFi at the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) station in St. Moritz as part of a pilot project. Further stations in the RhB network followed. This powerful WiFi is now also being made available to passengers on the train. The RhB already had its own infotainment solution in the Bernina and Glacier Express vehicles. In establishing an internet connection, the company sought to meet the following requirements:

  • Passengers can connect to the infotainment via WiFi and still access other activities online, such as chats, social media, etc.;
  • All requirements of the Federal Act on the Surveillance of Post and Telecommunications Traffic (SPTA) are met (e.g. identification obligation);
  • Fleets can be managed via the same solution.

 

Requirements

The following points convinced RhB that onway’s solution with NetModule hardware was the most suitable:

  • Ongoing legal protection of all Public-WiFi internet access points via the same portal and system – continuous flow of information for both trains and stations;
  • Passengers only need to register once in a six-month period using an SMS token;Security, reliability and speed
  • Central management system for monitoring and managing the entire fleet;
  • Ability to offer different usage models for passengers and company employees.of additional devices

 

Solution

On the hardware side, our certified mobile railroad routers of the NB3800 series were used at RhB for easy networking of large fleets. Our NetModule routers were chosen in this project due to the quality, stability, functionality as well as the modularity of the network components. All data traffic from the vehicle is consolidated using these vehicle routers and routed through a secure VPN tunnel via the mobile network to onway’s data centre.

The VPN tunnel terminates here. The data centre fulfils all central functions such as user authentication, filtering and monitoring user traffic, as well as limiting bandwidths and fulfilling the legal requirements according to the SPTA.

 

onway ag

Since 2004, the onway ag team has been supporting its customers in the evaluation, planning, implementation as well as operation and support of their WLAN/Network-Access-Control-Solutions and has already successfully implemented more than 100 projects. NetModule AG supports onway ag with its products in the industrial, bus and railroad sectors through its long-standing partnership.

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Increase Safety in Material Handling Applications

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Written by Lauren Robeson Menting

While the supply crunch has eased a bit for some industries, logistics facilities remain busy hubs. Filled with autonomous mobile robots, automated guided vehicles, employees, and goods, there’s no shortage of activity and moving parts.

Keeping employees safe from these moving parts – and making sure damage isn’t done to your facility or the goods it stores, hampering production and delivery – is essential. Wireless connectivity solutions can help ensure that safety is maintained in material handling applications – read on to discover factors you should consider when selecting a wireless product for your facility.

 

Industrial vs. Commercial

You probably wouldn’t look at your home Internet service and figure the same coverage would work as well for a major facility. Likewise, you shouldn’t equip your facility with commercially available wireless radios that are synonymous more with walkie-talkies than major factories.

There are a few reasons why industrial wireless radios have the edge here:

· Robustness: Industrial radios are designed to withstand inhospitable environments. Some industrial wireless radios can also ensure adequate connectivity even in facilities that are crowded with signals.

· Integration with your PAC: A typical setup will have one primary radio that connects to your control system, with access points on mobile equipment and at other locations as your application requires. Industrial wireless radios allow for streamlined integration with your PAC, ensuring radios’ real-time data is directly transferred to your control system.

· Security: Industrial radios can provide more security than commercial models, keeping proprietary information safe and bad actors out.

 

Fast, Precise Connectivity

You also want to make sure that the wireless radios you choose can give your employees, control system, and other radios real-time information as to their rapidly changing location.

Industrial radios allow mobile equipment to send their location to the primary radio and other access points in real time, which helps ensure other equipment won’t hit it – and, most importantly, employees know where heavy equipment is at all times to increase their safety.

Pairing wireless radios and a functional safety protocol (such as CIP Safety or PROFIsafe) is an especially wise idea for applications involving mobile equipment.

 

Flexibility for the Future

Opting for a wireless radio that can be easily implemented can help keep your employees safe when new equipment is added. A streamlined installation and configuration process ensures that this work won’t fall by the wayside when adding new moving machinery.

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Hirschmann OpEdge-8D is Now Qualified for AWS IoT Greengrass

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Written by Belden

Qualification for AWS IoT Greengrass brings new level of connectivity, communication and management of applications and workloads that run on the OpEdge-8D device.

St. Louis, Missouri – June 15, 2023 – Belden, a leading global supplier of network infrastructure and digitization solutions, is pleased to announce that the Hirschmann OpEdge-8D is now qualified for AWS IoT Greengrass. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Device Qualification Program helps AWS Partners qualify devices that work with AWS. This, in turn, helps customers to gain confidence, choice, and selection for hardware as they explore, build, and go to market with Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Qualified devices – like the Hirschmann OpEdge-8D – are listed in the AWS Partner Device Catalog to enable customers to quickly find hardware offered by AWS Partners for simplified project and solution integration.

AWS IoT Greengrass is an open-source edge runtime and cloud service for building, deploying, and managing device software across multiple fleets. These advancements to the Hirschmann OpEdge-8D will bring a new level of simplicity and convenience to the management of applications.

The Hirschmann OpEdge-8D is an industrial-grade edge gateway with a compact, DIN rail mount form factor that provides customers with a secure operating system (OS) and easy-to-use user interface (UI) for managing the networking and security features of the device, as well as user-defined containers and Virtual Machines (VMs). OpEdge-8D is also integrated with the Belden Horizon console for device management, secure remote access, and edge application orchestration at scale. Collectively this technology can be leveraged to connect Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems to support use cases where OT data needs to be processed to derive valuable insights for the user.

Jeremy M. Friedmar, Director of Product Management for Edge Solutions at Belden Inc. expressed his enthusiasm for the certification. “Belden is thrilled to have achieved qualification for AWS IoT Greengrass on our Hirschmann OpEdge-8D as an AWS Partner,” said Friedmar. “The Hirschmann OpEdge-8D is already recognized as the premier solution for the deployment of edge computing near OT data sources, and this certification makes us a credible transporter of operational data to a critical data destination of our users.” The OpEdge-8D is suitable for use in any industrial setting, including manufacturing, energy, transportation, and machine building.

“We look forward to working with AWS as we continue strengthening our industrial solutions in our served markets,” said Friedmar.

To learn more about the Hirschmann OpEdge-8D as listed in the AWS Partner Device Catalog, visit here.

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3 Ways Sensor To Cloud Puts Data To Work For You

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Written by Ciaran Burns

 

We’ve identified the top 3 ways Sensor to Cloud brings benefit to our industrial customers by making use of your data for better decision making, remote access and connectivity.

Now scale this data to an entire year. The amount of information is overwhelming.

To put it to work for you, it has to be tied together and have somewhere to go to be monitored, analyzed and acted upon. If the data is captured and viewed disparately, you won’t be able to discover insights, find potential failure points or manage your overall supply chain. In other words, you’ll be capturing data just for fun. (Which isn’t a good use of resources!)

 

Traditionally, this type of data gathering takes on a pyramid approach: A plant’s sensors and controllers (PLCs or PCs) transfer information to a central, onsite supercomputer or something similar.

 

There are still situations where this method is appropriate, but we’re also entering a world where it’s much simpler to connect devices to supercomputers or virtual servers that sit in the cloud. Instead of data from a factory-floor sensor going through several steps to be processed and analyzed, it’s now more common for a sensor to have its own cellular, wireless and/or wired connectivity that connects it straight to the cloud. (Quick tip: The cloud is simply a group of servers that let you store and access data and applications via the internet.)

 

Although its behind-the-scenes infrastructure can be somewhat complex, Sensor to Cloud brings simplicity to industrial environments. It does what its name implies: Sensor to Cloud uses sensors to accumulate data and then transmits it into a cloud computing infrastructure for information sharing, collaboration, process improvement and decision-making—even across several sites.

 

Sensor to Cloud brings several benefits to industrial plants; we’ve identified and summarized three of the most important here.

 

1. Make Better Business Decisions

In the industrial world, data is always there. Capturing the information is the first step—but it’s only helpful if it can actually be used for something.

When data is collected and shared in real time, decisions can be made on the fly to maximize efficiency, handle predictive maintenance, test different strategies, ensure quality and safety, and improve how the factory floor runs.

All the important decision-making data points a plant needs in order to make informed decisions can be provided by the network. You just need a way to access that data so it can be used to improve automation and efficiency (which is exactly what Sensor to the Cloud provides).

By capturing data in the cloud, you’ll also have access to historical information so you can look for trends and patterns, measure performance improvement or demonstrate compliance over time.

 

2. Improve Communication & Maintenance

Consider maintenance in the wind turbine industry: They often send technicians out in boats to perform specific upkeep on offshore wind turbines. Once the workers get to the jobsite and assess conditions, they may or may not be able to complete the tasks they were sent to do. Or what if they find something else that needs to be done as well? Because they’re offshore and have no connectivity, they often have to wait to get back into their boat and re-establish a useable connection before they can provide updates and ask questions, which creates lots of wasted time. When workers can access data via the cloud, their maintenance work can be more productive.

 

Sensor to Cloud also lets industrial maintenance staff know what’s happening with their devices, systems and processes at all times. Instead of requiring 24/7 monitoring by an employee, Sensor to Cloud lets you capture device data and implement automatic monitoring and analysis; the right people can be notified immediately if something isn’t performing as expected (before it negatively impacts production).

This automated capability is similar to your car’s tire pressure warning. Fifteen or 20 years ago, your car may not have told you when one of its tires needed more air. Instead, you had to manually check it when you filled up with gas or you noticed an issue. Today, your car tells you as soon as there’s a tire-pressure problem so you can address it before a tire wears prematurely, overheats or causes an accident.

 

3. Remote Access

COVID-19 has forced many manufacturers to do what they can remotely to minimize physical contact and maintain social distancing.

When data is captured and shared via the cloud, it can be securely accessed from anywhere at any time: from your desk at work, your living room, on the road, etc.

Remote access supported by Sensor to Cloud also lets you monitor offsite equipment performance, such as wind turbines, from your plant location (or anywhere else).

 

Belden Makes Sensor to Cloud Possible

Belden doesn’t talk about Sensor to Cloud in theory or through hypothetical examples: From sensors and connectivity to cloud solutions, we have the comprehensive portfolio of solutions to really make it happen. And we’re helping industrial plants around the world prepare for this shift.

Our Sensor to Cloud solutions not only help you make use of your data for better decision-making, remote access and efficient maintenance, but they can also bridge OT and IT to bring these two groups together as partners. (More about this in part two of our Sensor to Cloud blog series, coming soon!) Belden acts as your Sensor to Cloud collaborator, making it easy and streamlined for both sides of the table.

Want to learn more about Sensor to Cloud and Belden’s ability to support it? Join us for a six-part webinar series where we’ll discuss:

  1. The market trends driving Sensor to Cloud—and what it takes to create a Sensor to Cloud solution
  2. Standards, best practices and the importance of IO-Link in Sensor to Cloud
  3. Redundancy and infrastructure
  4. Data analytics and edge solutions
  5. Securing sensor data
  6. Managing Sensor to Cloud networks

 

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Do You Need an IP67 Ethernet Switch? Ask These Questions First

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Written by Rick Saro and Mike Krueger

 

In automotive environments, Ethernet switches make it possible to connect essential devices to the network so they can gather data and communicate.

Choosing the right Ethernet switch often comes down to deciding between IP ratings: an IP20 or IP67 switch. Both serve the same purpose but offer different advantages and drawbacks you should consider.

An IP20 switch is installed in a control cabinet, considered touchproof (users won’t make contact with hazardous or energized parts) and prevents ingress of large dust particles.

IP67 switches allow equipment operators to deploy Ethernet-based systems right at a machine, process or factory floor instead of in a cabinet. This allows them to configure, manage and monitor connected machines and devices remotely—outside the control cabinet—without having to run long lengths of cable or install enclosures for switches and powering devices.

Due to many factors—including their space-saving, cabinet-less design—IP67 switches are sometimes considered the automotive manufacturing industry’s go-to option for Ethernet switches. But does your plant environment really need an IP67 switch? Would an IP20 switch work just as well?

In some environments, IP67 switches may be necessary. In other cases, however, IP20 switches may be the more cost-effective choice.

Which IP-rated Ethernet switch is right for your automotive plant? To find out, ask yourself these questions …

 

1. Is There Moisture or Frequent Washdowns?

Water plays a big role in the automotive manufacturing process, and it’s used in a number of different stages in an assembly line.

These applications might include:

  • Paint booths where water is used as a filtration medium
  • Rinsing and metal finishing
  • Processing equipment that must be regularly cleaned with water
  • Body-washing areas where cars are cleaned before leaving the plant
  • Rain test chambers that ensure water tightness

If an Ethernet switch will be deployed in a water-intense production area, then it needs to be protected from water intrusion. To protect against water ingress, IP67 Ethernet switches rely on M12 connectivity instead of the RJ45 connectivity found with IP20 switches.

 

2. Are Dust and Debris Present?

When employees are running the production line, their work often results in large volumes of dust. When a significant amount of dust is present in your manufacturing environment, Ethernet switches need to be able to guard against significant dust intrusion to remain operational.

These types of dust-generating applications can include:

  • Cutting
  • Grinding
  • Machining
  • Plastic processing
  • Rubber manufacturing
  • Stamping
  • Welding

IP20 switches prevent ingress of particles greater than 12 mm in diameter, which provides a reasonable level of protection against dust. IP67 switches are considered completely dust tight, offering full protection from dust and other particulates.

 

3. Do We Need Clear Lines of Sight?

Is having a clear line of sight to production lines important in your plant to support communication, determine when assistance is needed, watch for alerts, maintain productivity or ensure that quality standards are met?

Because IP67 switches can be installed outside protective cabinets and directly on machines, they don’t create any visual clutter that may impede the ability to see production lines or interfere with visual verification.

 

4. Do Control Cabinets Need More Space?

Real estate can be one of the biggest expenses involved with running a plant. Maximizing space inside control cabinets can help reduce the size and footprint of the cabinets themselves, optimize plant square footage and reduce labor and material costs.

If you need to find ways to optimize the space inside your automotive plant’s control cabinets, then an IP67 Ethernet switch’s cabinet-less design can help you do this. When the switch is mounted outside the cabinet and directly at the machine, this also results in shorter cable runs (saving even more labor and material costs).

 

5. Is Maintenance a Concern?

Many U.S. requirements state that electricians must dress in personal protective equipment, including clothing that doesn’t conduct electricity, before accessing a cabinet housing containing 110V service or higher. If an IP20 switch is inside the cabinet, then electricians must be the ones to access it.

IP67 switches eliminate this requirement—and the potential for arc flash—because the switches can be removed from enclosures and cabinets while still ensuring reliable performance in dusty, wet and harsh environments.

Mounting Ethernet switches outside the control cabinet also reduces the amount of time an electrician spends working inside a cabinet, improving life safety.

 

Making the Right Choice

If the factors mentioned above—water and dust ingress, space optimization, maintenance and clear lines of sight—are important to your manufacturing operation, then IP67 switches may be the best choice for your automotive environment.

If these factors aren’t a major concern, however, then IP20 switches can be a practical and cost-effective solution to support your connectivity goals.

For automotive environments that demand IP67 Ethernet switches, Belden offers its OCTOPUS IP67 Ethernet Switch. It allows automotive plants to install reliable, fail-safe networks in demanding conditions. Available in unmanaged and managed versions, they offer a cabinet-less design for easy installation directly on machines, built-in network security and complete protection against dust and water intrusion.

 

Learn more about OCTOPUS IP67 Switches

 

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