As manufacturers steer towards a future defined by more predictive operations, real-time insights and greater intelligence in automation, the quality and performance of industrial networks is becoming a make-or-break foundation for competitive differentiation.
Use cases such as vision-based quality assurance and AI-enabled predictive maintenance applications are dependent on secure, high-performing network connectivity to ensure near real-time access to data on the plant floor as well as integration with core enterprise systems.
To drill down on what’s required of modern industrial networks, Automation World tapped two experts in the field: Felipe Costa, senior product marketing manager for networking and cybersecurity at Moxa, and Bryan Tantzen, senior director of industrial IoT solutions at Cisco.
Q: What emerging trends or technologies in industrial networking hardware should manufacturers pay close attention to?
Tantzen: For many of our customers, the number one issue is industrial security. The old way of air gapping the plant and thinking it’s safe no longer exists because of requirements to pull more data from plant floor machines as more manufacturers use AI and machine learning. One customer I recently spoke with was going to have 10 times the number of IIoT-connected devices in their plants because of new cameras and sensors. There’s a lot of data that needs to get out of the plant and that requires secure connectivity.
Network management is also an issue. Historically, it’s been a world of very little management for OT (operations technology) devices and switches. However, if you’re having issues like a network storm, it’s very hard to troubleshoot without industrial network management capabilities. At Cisco, we’re trying to bring in faster troubleshooting to enable rapid fault isolation and reduce downtime. Power over Ethernet (PoE)-enabled switches are also important as you put in more video cameras and other hardware in support of AI.
Costa: We are seeing a lot more demand for hardware that supports the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) protocol. There are different types of protocols used in the plant to bring more predictability to real-time data transmission. Trying to connect them all into a single network creates challenges. TSN can act as a unified technology to bring this predictive data together.
At the same time, initiatives like IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) and Industry 4.0 demand more data to make better decisions and improve the way we manufacture products. All of these developments push for networking improvements to deliver precision and better controls for the information being transmitted.
Q: What should manufacturers look for to ensure network hardware can adequately handle manufacturing environmental conditions such as temperature variations, dust and vibration?
Tantzen: Industrial networking equipment needs to be built for harsh environments and temperature ranges, which could be anywhere from -40?C to 75?C. Industrial switches should be fanless, with no moving parts to extend durability, and should be hardened for vibration and shock. In some use cases, the option of IP67 rating is required, which means it’s near waterproof. This is important if, for example, the network device is installed on a paint line or a place where they wash down the area at the end of the day.
The other critical thing to look for is that network equipment is validated to work across multiple industrial protocols such as EtherNet/IP or Profinet, with flexibility in the number of ports so there is room for scalability. The devices need to be easily managed, which means plug-and-play deployment. In that way, if you need to move or replace the device, you can do so with near zero touch, which helps overcome IT skills gaps in the operational environment.
Costa: It starts with understanding the target environment. The specific industry requirements will provide a clear vision for the type of product you need, including what’s required for dust, grit and other factors that categorize an aggressive environment. Sometimes you need to use enclosures to have a higher degree of protection so a switch can connect in a reliable way in a very hostile environment.
Q: What type of networking monitoring and diagnostic features should network hardware support?
Tantzen: Near zero touch deployment, which uses automation versus manual configuration, is important. That way, if a switch goes out at 3 a.m. and you need someone to replace it, they can plug into it, automatically see where it resides on the network, and let it configure itself to get back up and running. That’s opposed to the significant delays of manual configuration since many plants don’t have the extra labor or time for these manual processes. Also, AI-enabled analytics will soon be able to assist in troubleshooting.
Costa: One area that customers are interested in is understanding traffic workloads to detect bottlenecks. Software that delivers visibility to help understand transmission patterns, bottlenecks and configurations is crucial.
Q: What security measures should network hardware possess to protect the industrial network from cyber threats?
Tantzen: From a security point of view, once you connect the plant to IT, air gapping doesn’t work. It’s important to look for security built into hardware such as chips and ASICs and to look for modern networking products that support segmentation and management because you can’t secure an unmanaged switch. We are also embedding security sensors and software into the hardware to get visibility into what’s connected to the device, the security posture of what’s connected and the device type that’s connected. That lets users monitor traffic flows from a device in terms of the type of flow and destination of the flow, establishing alarms that will alert when an incident occurs.
We see three critical steps in the security journey everyone should take to protect industrial environments. First, ensure the use of managed switches; second, deploy software for visibility into what end devices are connected with the security posture; and finally, deploy segmentation to contain malware attacks.
Costa: Manufacturers can start by diving into details of certifications like IEC 62443 or ISA99 to get guidance on the different levels of security required to protect OT systems while also defining their risk appetite. Networking devices will support a range of security levels but, in general, we are seeing the market trying to standardize on Security Level 2. Moxa solutions include security-hardened devices certified on the IEC 62443-4-2 cybersecurity standard, which include support for network segmentation, threat protection and an intrusion detection system.
Q: How do you address the challenges of integrating modern network hardware with legacy equipment?
Tantzen: As you modernize these plants, it’s a journey. It’s not really a spec sheet issue. Instead, it’s about being able to set a standard and migrate step-by-step, refreshing lines, control systems and whole plants. You don’t have to upgrade everything at once.
Costa: You can’t retrofit everything overnight. The best path is to select a partner that has a big portfolio of different technologies so you have options and flexibility. Vendors that offer products compatible with the three most common protocols—Modbus, Profinet and EtherNet/IP—make it easier. In that way, the vendor can serve more as a consultant instead of pushing for a specific technology.
