Today's world is all about information and communication-keeping in touch. Indeed, for those of us in the world of industrial automation, communication is essential to success. The well-oiled machinery that makes up the backbone of industry can no longer continue operating as individual islands. Information drives productivity. The global marketplace demands communication, not just among personnel, but among every contributing, producing part of the process, from the CEO down to the I/O. With a factory-to-enterprise communications infrastructure, companies can leverage the power of the Internet. Today, enterprises can connect multiple systems and give users instant access to timely, accurate information for quick decisions. Customers, partners and suppliers require some information-such as order status, inventory levels or recipe data-that only the enterprise's production systems can provide. Putting people in touch with the information they need can improve work-flow processes and strengthen the relationships integral to survival.

A complete network in the enterprise must include the factory, where Ethernet-based stations provide information decision makers can use.

An industrial network is more than just a way of connecting one machine to another. It goes far beyond the factory floor, to the enterprise itself, enabling a flow of information that bridges the gap between automated plant-floor systems and the global business network.

To its owner, the industrial network means higher productivity with a lower cost of ownership, real-time information instead of weekly or monthly reports, better scheduling, more efficient resource management and lower inventory. It also means better customer relationship management, remote monitoring, and lower training and support costs. Industrial networking means integrating the factory into the business.

Myriad benefits

We've all seen the benefits that a factory-level network of programmable-logic control, I/O, human-machine interfaces, and related hardware and software can produce: superior monitoring and control functions that reduce and often eliminate troubleshooting and downtime; automatic reporting, which does away with manual data collection and data compilation; and remote capabilities that provide round-the-clock access from anywhere in the world. All of those advances are the result of the industry's growing commitment to open products with the connectivity and standardized features that make them accessible and affordable for operations of all sizes.

For the IT manager, networking has never been more challenging or more important to the life of the corporation than it is today. From enterprise resource planning (ERP) to global connectivity through the Internet, information technology is the portal to greater productivity and business efficiencies. Companies have networked their offices, connected their partners and called up their customers using Ethernet to embark on a goal to become globally connected. But companies are coming to realize that a complete network must include the factory-and for the automation industry, Ethernet is the key.

As a means for office networking, Ethernet has emerged in the past few years as the hands-down winner, and it is used in nearly every new application. The reason is clear: Ethernet has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of its users. While early versions were not well-matched to factory automation, the new generation of Ethernet meets the demands of both office and industrial networking.

Ethernet offers many advantages that are driving its acceptance as the industrial networking standard. Since it is a tried-and-true standard office network, many enterprises are already familiar with installing, maintaining and using Ethernet. That can reduce training costs when implementing Ethernet in the factory. In addition, compared with their proprietary counterparts, Ethernet networks are relatively easy to set up and maintain, and network parts and components are readily available and considerably less expensive.

All for Ethernet

To support the increasing demand for and capabilities of Ethernet on the plant floor, all GE Fanuc automation devices today are being designed for Ethernet connectivity. On the shop floor, the approach to automation components, both hardware and software, has seen a shift from standalone products to more comprehensive, open solutions, which have been largely influenced by the widespread acceptance of the PC; Microsoft operating systems, including Windows 95, 98 and NT; and Ethernet.

The openness of those components not only facilitates the networking aspect of the "shop floor to top floor" approach, but also allows businesses to protect their investments in existing machinery by equipping their old devices with new functionality.

For example, in the world of computer numerical controls (CNCs), a traditional CNC closely coupled with PC technology can provide the software tools and networking ability that open the door to increased productivity, better quality and greater flexibility, all at a lower cost. That lets machine tool shops keep pace with networking technology and keep in touch with their corporate-level business without breaking the budget on new-equipment investments. Standardizing an entire enterprise on one network also holds great appeal, since companies can realize additional cost savings by implementing, maintaining and training personnel on one network rather than several. And the promise of greater access to operations information-from the management level down to individual I/O points-from anywhere in the world, via the Internet or an intranet, is driving the increased use of Ethernet.

Traditionally, the barriers to widespread acceptance of Ethernet in an industrial environment have included a lack of determinism, speed and openness at the device level. But such recent technological advances as the switched-star topology have alleviated many of these concerns.

Allowing better communication and faster decision making, a factory-to-enterprise network also permits companies to exploit the full potential of the Internet. Critical factory-floor data that was once limited to weekly or monthly reports becomes an integral part of shared, real-time decision making via Internet technology.

One recent development that reflects the growing demand for a networked marketplace is the formation of GE Cisco Industrial Networks by GE Industrial Systems (a global leader in factory control and automation) and Cisco Systems (the world leader in networking for the Internet). GE Cisco assesses, designs and builds network infrastructures for manufacturing plant-floor and industrial environments that enable enterprise-wide communication for real-time decision making, e-business and higher productivity.

Ethernet, connectivity and openness all add up to one concept: the ability to gather, transmit, monitor and control enterprise information in real-time and to access that information from anywhere in the world, at any time.

In today's marketplace, real-time data communication and access are necessities for manufacturers.