Can high-speed fiber optics connect smart factories?

In order to keep factories moving forward, the industry is beginning to look at the idea of ​​using high-speed optical fiber to connect manufacturing facilities. Through optical fiber networks, remote manufacturing operations can be connected to improve production optimization and supply chain management…

Machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity and the Internet of Things (IoT) have risen to the forefront of many strategic technology conversations.

Many companies in the industry are further improving their product design and component performance, hoping to establish seamless and real-time communication processes between devices. Business executives are also keen to discuss how the continuous transmission and automatic analysis of information generated by machines will transform the way we live, work, play, drive and shop, and how it will change the appearance of our homes, offices, vehicles, shopping malls, supermarkets, hospitals, gas stations and everywhere we pass every day.

As M2M and IoT shape business and operational strategies, influence product design, and force companies to re-examine how to collect supplier and customer data and use it effectively, a question that arises is: How can companies bring together all internal factory and supply chain data with the speed, consistency and reliability promised by IoT? After all, factories are the lifeblood of many companies, and any data bottleneck will be costly.

Many in the industry are beginning to realize this and are catalyzing a deeper conversation around the Industrial IoT, or IIoT.

To keep factories moving at a constant pace, some conversations are beginning to look at the idea of ​​connecting manufacturing facilities using high-speed fiber optics. Through fiber optic networks, remote manufacturing operations can be connected for a variety of purposes, including production optimization and supply chain management.

The introduction of high-speed networks in manufacturing plants to achieve M2M communication and real-time monitoring is not a new topic. Advanced manufacturing and its need for active monitoring systems have made high-speed networks a reality, and the demand for big data has pushed this demand to a new level. In addition, manufacturers want networks that are not just single facilities, but are often deployed in different production locations. This requires a new long-distance high-speed network.

Industrial data is increasing exponentially, and high-speed networks will be needed in the future to achieve seamless, secure and reliable data transmission.

Meanwhile, the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) is taking a leading role here. This organization, led by General Electric (GE) and supported by Cisco, Accenture and Bayshore Networks, has established a high-speed network test platform. This new fiber optic technology can reach a speed of 100Gb per second, which is equivalent to downloading 6,000 high-definition videos at the same time.

However, how to achieve 100Gbps high-speed M2M? According to the organization, 100Gbps capability can be extended to the edge of the wireless network, allowing test bed leading manufacturers to provide more data and analysis results to mobile users through advanced communication technology. GE is currently installing the network at its Global Research Center; Cisco provides the necessary infrastructure to expand the network to the whole country. Accenture and Bayshore Networks demonstrated the application of high-speed network infrastructure for power generation.

Bayshore Networks said the testbed used its IT/OT gateway filter to convert generator data into a standard analytical format for integration with third-party Accenture Insights Platform analytics. The gateway is responsible for securing data in motion and feeding it securely to the analytics platform.

"GE's software research focuses on driving real-time interconnection between large-scale systems and developing advanced and complex control systems to improve product performance and efficiency," said Colin Parris, vice president of GE Software Research. He also emphasized that "these high-speed networks can accelerate data movement and increase data volume between industrial Internet products and services. This capability will greatly accelerate the progress needed in these areas, and collaboration through the IIC alliance will help promote industrial standards."

Whether high-speed fiber optic technology will become the de facto standard for IIoT remains to be seen. However, wherever the dominance of standards ultimately takes place, companies that wish to remain competitive must work to move beyond their current state-of-the-art technologies and automation. Integrating big data that can reshape product design, internal and external supply chain activities, and customer interactions will sooner or later become a topic of discussion.

How are M2M and IoT shaping your manufacturing strategy? How are you going to get factories talking in the language of big data analytics?