More efficient manufacturing

The future is wireless. Recently developed wireless networking solutions will soon be in widespread use in industrial environments where alarms and messaging play a vital role. Wireless LANs are likely to play an important part in modern manufacturing environments as they give users all the benefits of a wired LAN without any cabling. Users can move around a site without losing connection to their company network and just around the corner, new Bluetooth technology will bring further innovations with devices up to 10 metres apart being able to communicate without wires.

Recent research has revealed that 43% of the total European workforce today can be considered mobile - in other words, away from their desk or fixed workstation for more than 20% of the working day. Such workers require a communications environment in which they have seamless, fast and flexible access to the same voice and data services and information they have in their office, wherever they are - at their desk, in a meeting, on a different site, visiting a customer or supplier, working from home or travelling within the country or even abroad.

In manufacturing environments the benefits of mobile communications can be extended to cover production lines, warehouses for stock inventory and contacting people who move round the site, such as warehouse staff, trouble shooters, plant operatives and site foremen.

Achieving this vision of mobile working involves integrating a range of wireless and wired technologies to give users consistent ways of accessing information and services, without needing different types of terminal and different operating procedures. The technology solutions, which support the mobile working environment, are varied. The most widely used at present is DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone) business cordless telephony which integrates mobility within a company's existing on-site PBX thus ensuring that staff are always contactable, can answer calls instantly, and avoid 'telephone tag'. It can also provide faster responses to stoppages, greater flexibility for sites implementing just-in-time manufacturing and improve response times for companies that store and deliver goods.

In a continuous process like manufacturing, it is essential that the machines are up and running as much as possible. Equipment downtime has a financial impact on manufacturers and problems need to be solved quickly. The increased use of cordless phones means that, when a problem occurs, a text message can be sent to a trouble-shooter describing what and where the problem is. Once at the location of the problem, the trouble-shooter can speak with production engineers or the spare-part department directly. The result is valuable downtime saved.

Akzo Nobel Chemicals in Düren, Germany, produces chemical raw materials and special products at its 24-hour chemical plant. The plant had existing pager and radio transmitters but the system could not provide the reliability, coverage and communications that were required. In addition, it needed EEX-approved equipment because of the gases that could potentially be exposed in one of the buildings. Akzo installed a DECT system with 70 base stations to provide coverage across the whole site both internally and externally and 77 intrinsically safe cordless phones. This system provides reachability for the employees, especially technicians and safety-related personnel. The additional functionality of the alarm button and no-movement alarm is also very important for extra safety in emergency situations. UK users of DECT technology include Peugeot and British Sugar, both of whom have reported vastly improved communications, as well as improvements in working practices and cost savings, since introducing cordless telephony.

The next major step for manufacturing industry is to make more of the industrial networking wireless, so the benefits already being achieved for people can be extended to production lines and automation. That's where you come in.

• Damovo
  d102@industrialnetworking.co.uk