What makes fibre optics vital to the success of Industry 4.0?
Robotic solutions demand fast, flexible, stable transfer of information Print Print Pro  In association with RS Components  Perhaps youre thinking about upgrading your factory so that it maintains competitiveness in an Industry 4.0 world. As you consider how to go about making those improvements, youll undoubtedly encounter content about fibre optics. Here are some of the crucial ways that they make the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) work. Fibre optics enable fast, reliable transmissions  Machine connectivity is one of the hallmarks of an Industry 4.0 factory. Pieces of equipment may sync with one another and communicate to get jobs done faster. Additionally, manufacturers want up-to-date information about assembly-line output and whether any machines show unusual symptoms that could indicate an impending failure. advertisement      Installing fibre optic cables assists with both the movement of data and the volume of information a manufacturing plant can collect. Several years ago, transmission speeds topped out at about 100Gb/s. However, theyre now even higher thanks to ongoing progress in fibre-optic technology. In December 2020, researchers recorded a transmission speed of 1 petabit per second, a world-record achievement. They measured it using a multimode fibre optic cable, and the outcome was reportedly more than two-and-a-half times faster than the top speeds available up to that point. Fibre optic cables will also become foundational for the manufacturing facilities that use the 5G network. Theyll be instrumental in transporting signals to and from 5G base stations. Raf Meersman, CEO of consulting firm Comsof, advocates for bringing fibre inside the buildings where people use 5G. Within his research, he clarified that between 65% and 96% of fibre costs for 5G [backhaul] can be eliminated by rolling out an optimised and future-proof converged fibre network. Fibre optics support temperature-sensitive Industry 4.0 applications  One of the main goals in a smart factory is to get real-time information about processes, items, and machinery. Manufacturers receive those details with help from fibre optics. Manufacturers have numerous options when determining how to measure temperature. However, choosing the most appropriate one requires knowing the limitations of each possibility. For example, infrared cameras and temperature transmitters are popular choices. However, they can only measure the warmth or coolness of the immediate surroundings. When the aim is to measure the temperature over a larger area, fibre optics can help, specifically through an option called distributed temperature sensing (DTS). In this approach, the temperature gets measured over the length of a fibre-optic cable. Some of the potential applications of DTS in a manufacturing plant include monitoring the temperatures of furnace walls and power cables. Choosing DTS for power cable monitoring is both a preventive measure against fire and a way to improve cables efficiency. Fibre optics enhance industrial robot sensitivity  Many Industry 4.0 factories include industrial robots. However, theres a growing trend of investing in machines that can work around people instead of staying confined behind safety cages. A market analysis estimated that these collaborative robots would account for 30% of total robotics sales by 2027. Collaborative robots typically help people with repetitive tasks, saving them from strain and giving them more time to complete more rewarding duties. Cornell University researchers made a stretchable skin for robots that incorporates a fibre optic sensor that detects pressure, strain, and bending. The team anticipates that their innovation could give soft robots tactile sensation awareness, similar to what mammals have. Incorporating the sensor into a robotic hand, for example, could let the machine detect and correct when a delicate item begins to slip from its grasp. Ideal for robots handling fragile or easily damaged goods. Robots improve fibre optic access  The connection between fibre optics and Industry 4.0 comes full circle if you consider applications where robots assist with fibre optic rollouts. In such cases, a robot may receive commands and communications via fibre optic cables while it simultaneously helps expand a fibre optic network or assist a company that specialises in the sector. In one example, Facebook deployed a robot to install fibre optics on medium-voltage aerial power lines. That was part of its effort to increase Internet access with high-capacity networks. Fibre optics will underpin the goals of Industry 4.0  These examples show why fibre optic technology is crucial for helping companies achieve their Industry 4.0 goals. Most people never notice fibre optics unless they participated in the installation process. However, theyll undoubtedly appreciate all the things this type of infrastructure helps happen.