More and more companies are developing and implementing digital models that exactly match the equipment, machines, systems and processes used in their production lines. These virtual representations, called digital twins, provide a unique tool for control and product lifecycle management (PLM) or simulate what could happen in the real application, for example the interactions between components or the component wear rate and failure.

In any case, digitalization enables manufacturing companies to make their processes transparent and manage their systems efficiently because meaningful data and information from operations provide them with a sound basis for online decision-making. Digital models benefit production even if they are not linked to their counterparts in the real world. Smart, responsive factories can be realized much better if the real application is linked to the digital model in quasi real time, creating closed control loops.

Only when the virtual and real worlds communicate with each other can it ultimately be checked whether the processes in production match the predictions of the models. When manufacturing companies are working on their strategy for the digital migration to Industry 4.0, they must therefore also address the question of a suitable industrial network.

It is advisable to rely on the expertise of network specialists for industrial automation. In the case of the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) and its partners, companies can rest assured that the solutions are state of the art and will continue to fit as requirements evolve. Over the years, CLPA has helped the industry transition from fieldbus technology to Ethernet technology, and is now shaping the future again: Time Sensitive Networking (TSN).

The open CLPA technology available on the market, CC-Link IE TSN, can process the large amounts of data generated by sensors and models in cyber-physical systems in a timely manner. To do this, it combines Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) with Gigabit Ethernet. With the help of these two key factors, manufacturing companies can also transfer existing, fully functional automation solutions into the future, even if they are based on 100 Mbit Ethernet. With networks such as CC-Link IE TSN, manufacturing companies can operate their current processes with maximum compatibility and future-proofing. as