Resilient employees embrace challenges, viewing stress as an inevitable part of the workplace. They nurture their work networks and consistently build trust with others.

Panduit’s Costa Rica manufacturing facility needed a new, reliable industrial network to improve equipment uptime and provide better data gathering for key production metrics. They deployed a Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) architecture solution.

Resilience

In the face of global challenges, uncertainty and change, resilience is a quality that helps employees cope. Resilience is a mental and emotional process that allows individuals to respond positively to adversity and develop strength over time. It also enables people to be more flexible and adapt to change, making it an important workplace skill.

The scientific study of resilience began about 40 years ago, with researchers noticing that some individuals manage to thrive in spite of high-risk circumstances. The concept has since grown into a holistic approach that addresses individual and team resilience. Studies have found that resilient teams are more creative, productive and flexible in challenging times. Additionally, members of resilient teams experience fewer negative effects from work-related stressors than their peers.

Employee resilience can be learned through education and training, but it’s also a critical aspect of organizational culture. A resilient organization promotes an open communication culture, with everyone having a clear understanding of the company’s goals and strategies. This creates engagement, which in turn allows employees to build their own resilience by focusing on what they can control.

A proactive mindset is also a key element of resilience. Employees who take risks, seek regular feedback and identify opportunities amidst change are more likely to exhibit a resilient mindset. It’s not uncommon for businesses to struggle during difficult economic conditions. However, the most resilient companies are those that focus on fostering a positive mindset and supporting their employees in the face of adversity.

Panduit is a leader in network and industrial electrical infrastructure solutions. Their Costa Rica facility needed a hardened and secure industrial network to connect machines to the manufacturing execution system (MES) to gather data for production key performance indicators. Panduit partnered with Rockwell Automation and Cisco Systems to provide a solution called Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE), which delivers standard network and security services over dedicated, hardened industrial networking hardware. The CPwE solution uses a pre-configured IDF that includes copper and fiber connectivity, patching for uplinks and downlinks, power features and a steel enclosure to minimize engineering and installation.

Connectivity

Panduit implemented a resilient plant-wide network architecture in its Costa Rica facility to achieve optimized plant uptime and productivity. The old industrial network had several issues including a limited scalability, out-of-date network security equipment, and inconsistent data gathering that affected production key performance indicators (KPIs). A dedicated, hardened, and secure network was needed to ensure that the Allen-Bradley PLCs were properly configured to provide reliable and accurate data for MES systems.

Panduit used the Switch Ready Network Zone System (PNZS) to quickly deploy and protect a new network. The PNZS is a factory-assembled network enclosure that includes rack-mount Cisco StackWise switches for distribution, a pre-configured IDF, and Category 6A UTP copper and fiber connectivity for uplinks and downlinks. The PNZS is thermally tested, provides redundant power supplies, and reduces engineering and installation time for faster deployment.

The PNZS was connected to the network core with Panduit OS2 single-mode fiber patch cords and structured cabling to connect the Cisco distribution switches. Enhanced Category 6A UTP copper cables with Vari-MaTrix technology reduces cable diameter and suppresses alien crosstalk for high-performance data transfer. The PNZS was also connected to the Allen-Bradley Stratix industrial Ethernet switches with CAT5e connectors, which enabled longer distance uplinks for improved network resiliency and security.

The LAN upgrade included a new intelligent Power Distribution Unit (iPDU) with four-in-1 outlets from Panduit, which combines the power distribution function with network connectivity monitoring. The iPDU provides advanced fault detection with a graphical interface for easy troubleshooting and maintenance. It is also powered by two Panduit maintenance-free 100W UPS devices for added reliability. Integrated network and power visibility through the Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Panduit intelligent Power Distribution Units helps minimize environmental impact and improve operational efficiency. The new network has been in operation for eight months and has eliminated many outages that previously occurred in the manufacturing facility.

Security

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand, network equipment and cabling must be able to support the growing number of devices in a secure manner. To ensure the security of these devices, Panduit provides a variety of solutions to meet this need. Our Category 6A solution includes everything you need to install and maintain a cable infrastructure that supports IoT devices with the highest possible level of performance and reliability.

With a network architecture that supports IoT devices, you must also be able to securely deliver power and data to these devices. As a result, a high-density PoE architecture is key. With this, you can increase the number of devices per switch without compromising on the amount of power they can receive. Our SmartZone solutions include the densest PoE architecture on the market, allowing you to easily deploy thousands of endpoints across your network while maintaining strong security posture.

Creating a resilient plant-wide industrial Ethernet infrastructure requires a deep understanding of the manufacturing environment. This includes the need to consider environmental factors like shock and vibration, washdown areas, and exposure to chemicals or oil mixtures. To help you address these requirements, we offer a range of physical infrastructure solutions for harsh environments that allow you to connect the plant floor and enable real-time information sharing for improved productivity.

In addition to addressing environmental considerations, designing a reliable plant-wide industrial network requires a solid understanding of industrial standards and the ability to create a logical Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) architecture. Brought to you through an ecosystem of industry thought leaders, CPwE helps you meet the real-time communication and deterministic requirements of your Industrial Automation and Control System (IACS) applications.

Our CPwE solution includes switches and a pre-configured IDF to minimize engineering and installation time for faster deployment. It also includes copper and fiber connectivity, and a steel enclosure for reliability. We also offer a range of enclosures, racks and cables for inside and outside plant installations to help you build your broadband infrastructure from the ground up.

Sustainability

Panduit’s world-class electrical and network connectivity infrastructure solutions help businesses keep up with a connected world. Our robust partner ecosystem, global staff, and unmatched customer service make us a trusted leader.

The Costa Rica facility of Panduit needed a better way to gather data from their manufacturing equipment and communicate with the plant’s main production key performance indicators (KPIs). The existing industrial network was experiencing outages that reduced productivity. Panduit implemented a plant-wide network technology upgrade using Converged Plant-wide Ethernet (CPwE) architecture to increase plant uptime and productivity.

CPwE is a collection of tested and validated architectures that leverage a building block approach to physical infrastructure deployment in support of a resilient, scalable, high-speed industrial network. CPwE supports the real-time communication and deterministic requirements of industrial automation and control system (IACS) applications and provides connectivity to the enterprise network. CPwE is a best practice for designing and deploying a plant-wide converged network.

As part of their implementation plan, the facility used a pre-configured IDF that included copper and fiber patching for both uplinks and downlinks. This helped to minimize engineering and installation time, while minimizing the overall footprint of the IDF and the network switch equipment within it. The IDF was located centrally in the facility to ensure that uplinks to the network switches on the plant floor were shorter, reducing overall costs and simplifying maintenance.

In addition, the facility also utilized a RapidID network cable mapping system from Panduit that allowed them to digitally archive and document their infrastructure cables faster and more intelligently. This saved time and resources while allowing the company to quickly identify faulty cabling, speeding up repair times. The combination of these technologies enabled the Costa Rica facility to successfully migrate to the new CPwE-based industrial network and improve productivity by eliminating outages and increasing uptime.