Connectivity is the foundation for the implementation of various technologies that will enable the digital transformation of the industry - and pave the way for industry 4.0. Therefore, it is essential that the communications network of this new industry is designed to be extremely robust, reliable and fail-safe, not allowing any kind of interruptions or interferences in the production lines that, in addition to causing losses, can generate security breaches, putting people involved in the manufacturing process at risk.  
 
"One of the greatest challenges of connectivity in Industry 4.0 is in the very aggressive conditions that occur on the factory floor", says engineer Denys de Souza Scheiner, who works with products and its application at Furukawa Southern Cone division. Furukawa has been investing in specific communication products and solutions for industrial environments. "Dust, humidity, vibrations, oil, electromagnetic interference, chemical agents, among other critical factors, are common in this environment and can affect the reliability and resilience of the communications network," he adds.
 
As it plays a fundamental role in the new industry scenario, the connectivity infrastructure must receive special attention and respect some basic precautions. Denys presents some tips and recommendations that can ensure greater reliability to the communications network:
 
•    Adoption of LAN networks based on the Ethernet standard, which allows better integration between the production floor and corporate systems, allowing the monitoring and control of production data in real time and decision-making in a faster and more efficient way. In addition, it allows greater transparency in the connection between various technologies and applications used in Industry 4.0 - such as autonomous and collaborative robots, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, among others. This is a trend that can be seen with the significant migration, by the industry, of various specific communication protocols (such as Profibus, Modbus, Device Net, etc.) to protocols based on Ethernet (Ethernet / IP, Profinet, among others).
 
•    Due to the differentiated nature of the manufacturing environment, specific rules were created to guide structured networking projects for industries. The standards ANSI/TIA1005, ISO/IEC 11801-3 and ABNT NBR 16521: 2016 specify structured cabling suitable for supporting telecommunications applications in industrial environments exposed to adverse conditions of temperature, humidity, electromagnetic noise, vibrations, gases, etc. 
 
•    The MICE concept, recommended by industrial structured cabling standards, should be used as a guide for network infrastructure projects in factory environments. In each MICE parameter (Mechanical, Ingress, Chemical / climatic, Electromagnetic) different types of tests are carried out to measure and classify the criticality of the environment. Higher criticality environments require a more robust network infrastructure, capable of withstanding vibrations, flushing, cleaning with chemicals, electromagnetic interference, high temperatures, exposure to oil, etc. 
        
•    Environments with parameters that may not be mapped to the MICE table levels must be addressed on a case-by-case basis by network architects in conjunction with infrastructure and connectivity solution manufacturers.
 
•    Fiber optics is the big bet in terms of connectivity solution for Industry 4.0, as it prepares the factory floor for future technologies and is also capable of withstanding the critical conditions of manufacturing environments. Among the advantages of fiber-based products, the support for transmission over long distances without suffering electromagnetic interference, the high transmission capacity (the basis of the technologies of the future), the reduced dimensions, etc. Furthermore, fiber optics offers a high degree of security for transmitted data, since its transport is carried out in the form of light. 
 
The Laserway Furukawa solution has been gaining prominence among fiber-based solutions, as it has an exclusive portfolio of products with Industrial classification, developed only for applications in critical environments. With the Laserway solution, it is possible to bring the fiber to the machines on the islands of automation, freeing up all the way from electromagnetic interference. It also has other advantages: it takes up to 70% less space in the gutter infrastructure and technical rooms; provides a reduction of up to 54% in investments (CAPEX), since it has fewer active ports and uses fewer cables; centralized network management; easy management, maintenance and operation of the communications network and can also generate savings of around 70% in operating costs (OPEX), since it consumes less energy. 
 
In addition, to meet the connectivity needs of Industry 4.0, Furukawa has products and solutions in copper, fiber optics and active equipment for industrial environments. The optical and copper cables have a special coating in TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) or PVC, which protects against damage caused by aggressive materials, and LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) coverage, with low smoke emission. The robustness also characterizes the rest of the products in the portfolio: accessories such as patch cords and -service cables with IP67 protection, equipment such as industrial switches and products for installation on -DIN rail (which facilitates organization without interfering with the space or logistics of the plant), among other elements. Furukawa also has a series of services designed to ensure the implementation of a high-quality, performance and future-proof network infrastructure capable of supporting Industry 4.0 applications.