The 8 Challenges to Networking a Factory

The age of the smart factory is here! More and more industrial processing facilities are hooking everything together, creating internal networks, to reap the benefits that these bring. The data-gathering and analysis-related functions of a networked factory can do wonders for long-term success and production efficiency. However, there are more than a few challenges.

Whether you are acquiring supplies from otscable for a new facility or you’re looking to upgrade an existing one, there are issues you have to consider. Some of these might be obvious at the outset, such as the logistics of all this networking gear. Others might catch you off-guard. Here are the seven most critical challenges that occur if you intend to make a smarter factory.

1. Legacy Equipment

One concern that is highly practical is legacy equipment. Older machinery could come from an era when networking wasn’t important. These could be crucial to your operations, but also too old for a simple “plug and play” approach. This means that you are in desperate need to figure out how to blend the old and new, and that’s not always the easiest thing to achieve.

Unfortunately, there are instances when there is no solution. If you’re upgrading from an existing factory, you will have to settle for mixing the old and new and working as best you can. You can look into using third-party integration equipment and adaptors, which are your best option if a strict update and upgrade are out of the cards.

2. Physical Logistics

Another huge concern is simple logistics. Where do you lay out the cables? Where are the routers or switches installed? How far between support hardware are the cables running? This is something that you need to understand before you start placing equipment on the ground. Consider the layout and where your heavy machinery as you plan the placement of your networking infrastructure.

3. Security

Security is a concern. A smart factory collects a great deal of data about your operations, which might be highly sensitive. Protecting it and any insights gained from it is important for most factories and companies. One way to protect the data is to go for a wired network, which traditionally is much harder to infiltrate from the outside.

In general, you do not want to go with a smart factory until you have the security in place. You want layers of protection and authorization for your data. How you achieve that is up to you, though keeping the more sensitive data in a closed network, inaccessible from the outside without the right credentials, is a good first step.

4. Data Storage

Data storage is also an ongoing concern for smart factories. As operations are recorded down to their minutia, all that information has to be kept somewhere. Preferably, the storage occurs on-site so you don’t have to stretch the network too far and risk security issues. This means you need to account for the storage and the conditions that prevent the hardware from being damaged.

5. Factory Visibility

Visibility is also a concern. In the old days, you might have observers present but practically no real active monitoring. Most things were probably done passively. In a smart factory, you’re going from zero monitoring to thousands of devices and points collecting data all the time. This can be a staggering amount of information to process and may require a learning curve.

A related challenge to this is if multiple factories are interconnected. Even if you maintained visibility in one, being suddenly thrust into seeing all of your facilities in such detail can be staggering. This is something that usually takes a bit of time to get used to.

6. Outages

You’ll want back-up systems in place in the event of outages. Never assume that you will never have an outage, and set the network up so that it functions on its own even without internet access. Make sure that the most crucial parts of it can work and record data independently, even under outage conditions.

7. Edge Networking

Going closer to the “edge” might also be a challenge for you. Edge networks are when a single task is processed by multiple terminals across a network. This can be a serious challenge because it means that your internal network has to connect to a much broader one. This will require serious cooperation between multiple departments, facilities, and personnel.

8. The Right Tools

Finally, you have to look at the tools you intend to use. The market for devices and tools for smart factories is increasing, which is both good and bad. It’s good because you have more options available, so there are higher odds something that suits your needs is out there. It’s bad because there’s more chaff to wade through, more time needed to get the right ones.

Conclusion

Yes, it is challenging to hook an industrial plant to a network and engage in the “Internet of Things.” There are challenges that must be overcome, logistics to consider, and costs to factor in. However, there are many benefits to gain from smart manufacturing, both from the network itself and by keeping up to date on the march of technology.

5 Things to Check Before Selecting a Bitcoin Trading Platform

In the last few years, trading in Bitcoins has now become much more mainstream. With the rise of credible trading platforms and exchanges, anyone with a few dollars to invest and an appetite for success can start trading in Bitcoins or any other cryptocurrencies.

Choosing the best Crypto trading platform or Bitcoin trading platform can be difficult for new investors because several factors need to be considered. Bitcoin trading simply means buying and selling Bitcoins.

Before investing in Bitcoin, keep in mind that the price of Bitcoins is highly volatile. This factor is preventing many investors from investing in this valuable asset. This is a very crucial factor to understand the perfect time for selling or buying the currencies, but having trading bots sometimes helps to figure out the factors and it helps to manage the trading with more convenience.

There are various benefits of investing in Bitcoins, and some of the benefits include low transaction charges, data protection, high security, no third parties, and much more.

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Selecting A Bitcoin Trading Platform

There are various Bitcoin trading platforms available on the internet but choosing the best one is crucial for every user. Thus, there are five major factors that you need to check before selecting the right Bitcoin trading platform.

1. Fee

Every Bitcoin trading platform has some amount of fees. You must proceed only on that platform that charges a genuine amount for trading.

If you are a new investor and join the Bitcoin market, this factor is crucial to consider at any cost. Trading fees differ for every platform, and if any platform is charging low fees, you need to be very careful about the security of that particular exchange platform.

2. Fiat Exchange

Fiat exchange is another factor that you need to consider before trading Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Every trader, at some point, needs a fiat exchange. This exchange can help their amount to convert into national currency.

Hence, if any trader or investor wants to get out of the Crypto world, this exchange’s procedure can help them. On the other hand, before choosing any trading platform, make sure the platform is compatible with your banks, and if it is not compatible with your account, you can proceed with the other one.

3. Security

Security is a very vital factor that every trader should consider choosing the best Bitcoin trading platform. Every trading platform has its security features.

If you choose the best Crypto trading platform, make sure the platform has two-factor authentication. It is the enhanced feature of every security system. You should not choose any platform that is not offering you good security features. Instead, opt for that platform that offers excellent security features, even if the charges are high.

4. Reputation

Reputation is a key factor that you need to check before selecting a Bitcoin trading platform. The reputation of several trading platforms can differ.

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You can research more on the internet about the reputation of that particular platform. You can also consider several traders’ reviews, which will help you choose the best one. Bitcoin is regarded as a young technology that was invented just a couple of years back. Thus, you will get information about every trading platform you are willing to select on the internet.

5. Insurance

Keep in mind; the best Bitcoin trading platform will have an insurance fund in place. Hence, opt for those Bitcoin trading platforms that provide insurance funds with good security features.

The best exchange platform will be protected to some extent. The trading platform that has several features can make your trading a successful one.

The Bottom Line

Every Bitcoin trading platform has its way of dealing with traders. You can also look at the leading Bitcoin trading app 1g ProfitSystem and earn high returns on investment. Trading in Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin can be a very profitable asset for you in the end.

The benefits of trading in Bitcoin can be very effective for you. You just need to gain some expert marketing skills to deal with all kinds of trading or investments. Thus, before choosing any Bitcoin trading platform, read the above instructions carefully. The above data will help you, to some extent, while selecting a suitable exchange platform to trade your digital currencies.