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Wireless in an industrial setting

Wireless in an industrial setting

Industrial and manufacturing enterprises are also discovering wireless technology. Used in industrial settings, wireless offers many of the same advantages: lowering costs by eliminating the need for cabling and bringing the flexibility of wire-free networking. In an industrial setting, wireless can help lower energy and material consumption, lower production costs and increase productivity. Wireless products intended for industrial settings differ from ordinary wireless products in important ways: they emphasise reliability over speed, they are housed in heavy-duty enclosures and they are not standardised.

Slow and steady

In industrial applications, reliability is more important than speed. The data being transmitted is usually simple sensor or control data, which requires very minimal bandwidth.

Wireless in an industrial setting

Reliability in industrial applications is, however, of utmost importance. When you’re communicating with sensors and controls to devices that are often very large and expensive—and often dangerous—you want to be sure the data goes through.

  

Plus, industrial environments are often difficult for wireless transmission because of long distances, and interference from large motors and reflective metal surfaces. For these reasons, wireless devices built for industrial use tend to be very slow but quite reliable.

Tough as nails

Industrial environments can be tough, exposing electronics to vibration, dust, moisture and extreme temperatures. For this reason, industrial wireless devices are usually housed in far more robust enclosures than devices intended for office environments. Standard features to look for are heavy-duty steel cases, water resistance, dust resistance and extended temperature ranges.


Why go wireless?

  • It’s great for communicating in harsh climates or in areas where it’s expensive to run cable. Wireless solutions are well suited for use in military applications, farming, refineries, mining, construction, and field research.
  • Because sometimes you just can’t run wire, like in historic buildings or hazmat areas.
  • When it’s physically or legally impossible to support conventional hard-wired RS-232 communications, wireless networking may be your only answer.
  • It gives you quick, temporary connections at trade shows, and fast reconfigurations—even troubleshooting or remote field testing.
  • It provides reliable disaster relief when all else fails! Count on wireless networks to maintain mission-critical links when disaster strikes.
  • It’s more affordable, more reliable, and faster than ever before.


Solutions for industrial environments