March 5, 2024 • 31 mins
Discover the transformative shift that's redefining industrial manufacturing: the ascendancy of managed network switches. We will walk through the cutting-edge intersection of technology and production, where managed switches reign supreme to streamline data flow, bolster efficiency, and dramatically cut downtime. Let's examine the critical nuances between unmanaged and managed switches, offering insights into how these powerful tools shape the future of smart manufacturing.
Delve into the cyber battleground of industrial networks, where the security of your operations hangs in the balance. Managed Ethernet switches emerge as the unsung heroes, locking down vulnerabilities and fortifying your infrastructure against threats. Through candid discussions on the imperative of port authentication to VLAN segmentation, we unravel the strategies that keep your intellectual property and compliance in check. This is a wake-up call to embrace managed switches as your ally in the relentless pursuit of secure, efficient smart manufacturing.
Gazing ahead, we chart a course through the innovations defining tomorrow's connected factories. From Stratix to Hirschmann, we highlight the trailblazers pushing boundaries and the ways Electric Equipment Company can prime your business for a robust infrastructure. Tune in for a comprehensive look at the resources and expertise at your disposal, ensuring you navigate the complexities of industrial connectivity with unwavering confidence.
Remember to keep asking why...
Network Switch Resources:
Network Switch Article
How to Configure a Network Switch in Siemens TIA Portal
Managed Ethernet Switches are Essential to the Connected Factory
Network Architecture | Do you think you have the best?
Other Resources to help with your journey:
Understanding your One-Line
Installed Asset Analysis Support
EECO Smart Manufacturing Guide
System Planning Support
Schedule your Visit to a Lab in North or South Carolina
Schedule your Visit to a Lab in Virginia
Submit your questions and feedback to: podcast@eecoaskwhy.com
Follow EECO on LinkedIn
Host: Chris Grainger
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to ECO Ask why, a podcast that dives into
industrial manufacturing topicsand spotlights the heroes to
keep America running.
I'm your host, chris Granger,and on this podcast we do not
cover the latest features andbenefits on products that come
to market.
Instead, we focus on advice andinsight from the top minds of
industry, because people andideas will be how America
(00:24):
remains number one inmanufacturing in the world.
Welcome to ECO Ask why.
I'm your host, chris Granger,and let's get right into it.
So you have a new format hereon ECO Ask why.
We've been trying out for thelast several months and
feedback's been great.
So we really focusing on theideas that you need help with
(00:47):
moving forward in industrialmanufacturing, and we started
off by talking about installedasset analysis and how important
it is to understand theequipment that you have
installed so that you can makebetter decisions.
And then we talked aboutmastering system design and how
you need to make sure thatyou're putting all the right
components in place to have thatideal system that you need to
(01:10):
meet your objectives and yourgoals moving forward.
Then we started taking a deeplook into smart motor protection
and how smart motor protectionhas evolved and how you can
utilize that technology insideyour facility today to make
better decisions.
Then we started talking allabout the IOT and everything
(01:30):
around industrial automation,with that and the importance of
that, and then our last episodefocused heavily on power
monitoring and the way that thetechnology around power
monitoring has evolved.
So where now power monitoringis something that everyone in
industrial manufacturing canutilize?
The technology is there, thedata is there.
(01:52):
So we're hoping that this typesof conversations and feedback
and information is empoweringyou to make better decisions.
So now, talking aboutautomation, power monitoring,
we're going to keep working downthis evolution in industrial
(02:12):
manufacturing.
And today we're talking aboutnetwork switches, because a
network switch is a backbone.
It's a key, key component thatyou need to have a good
understanding and there's a lotof confusion around this topic.
So we think about criticalequipment, often Think about the
vital infrastructure thatdetermines production schedules,
(02:35):
the possibilities and, at theend of the day, it's all about
revenues.
Let's just be real.
And in the modern day factorywe can add another piece of
equipment into that rostle ofvital.
You can't go wrong, you can'tdo without this stuff.
And that's the industrialnetwork switch, because the
(02:57):
industrial 4.0 that we live intoday, managed switches are keys
toa reliable, efficient andsecure process in business.
We can't emphasize this enough.
And they have lots of othertechnologies available and the
choices out there let's justface it, they can be daunting
(03:19):
and you want to make the bestdecision that you possibly can.
I just want to encourage you,the team of an electrical
equipment company that only canconnect you with the latest
technologies, but we can alsocouple that with access to some
of the best networking,industrial networking minds
available.
So you want to walk inconfidence, moving forward, an
assurance that you're pickingthe right hardware and you're
(03:41):
implementing it the correct way.
This is what we do, this is howwe help.
So I encourage you again gocheck out the links in the show
notes here.
We have lots of ways that youcan connect with us and have
these, start these conversationsright now.
If you have questions, if youhave applications, all that
stuff, if you want to come seeit, see it work firsthand, we
(04:02):
have the ability to do that andwe encourage you to do that.
So let's kind of start off withthis conversation here, just
talking about the transitionfrom the unmanaged switches of
the past to managed switches andjust to understand the switch,
because for decades unmanagedswitches.
They kind of been the go tothey really have for industrial
(04:24):
networking, and it's reallydriven by two factors they were
affordable and they were simple.
If you couple affordable andsimple together, I'm usually in.
So when you start thinkingabout the smart manufacturing
and everything is happeningthere and the exponential growth
of these interconnected devices, the limitations of these
(04:49):
unmanaged switches is prettyevident.
It's pretty scary, because theylack the intelligence and the
configurability that's reallynecessary to optimize your
network performance.
That's what it's about, and youwant to make sure you're
mitigating any bottlenecks, andthe unmanaged switches just
(05:10):
can't do that, and often, whenyou have those in place, you
have more unplanned downtime,and when you need to have that,
you're compromising productivity, and we all know how
competitive the landscape is.
The industrial manufacturing,whatever segment you're in,
whatever market, it'scompetitive, and you can't
(05:30):
afford that downtime or anythingthat would jeopardize your
process.
Managed networks, which is,though?
They represent a change and thebasic assumptions of industrial
networking, because whatthey're offering is unparalleled
control and visibility over thetraffic Because, unlike the
(05:54):
unmanaged guys, managed switchesempower you, so you can
prioritize critical datatransmissions, you can really
optimize your bandwidth and youcan be proactive in managing
that congestion.
Sometimes congestion is goingto happen, but if you can be
(06:14):
proactive and do things tomitigate that, it's a game
changer.
And it's this level of granularcontrol that is so
indispensable in modernmanufacturing.
Because we know what's the oldsaying in business time is money
right, and in manufacturing wecan get down to the millisecond
(06:36):
where those milliseconds cancost you money and have a huge
impact on the bottom line.
So, managed switches when youare saying, okay, for this piece
of data, you're going to thisport and I want you to do this
that changes everything, becauseso much of it comes down when
(06:58):
you really start thinking aboutprocesses.
Now, in industrial manufacturingit comes down to speed, speed
and one of the critical factorsthat needs to be taken into
consideration when you startassessing equipment Is the speed
in which the decisions aregoing to be made.
(07:20):
How is the data going to beutilized?
So where you have timesensitive data transmission,
let's say that stuff isparamount.
You got to have that data here,no matter what.
The speed at that switch placeis a crucial role to ensure that
efficient communication and theseamless operation of the
(07:43):
process.
So you have the switches withthe higher speeds can facilitate
those faster exchange rates.
That's what it's all about.
And you can reduce your latencyand, next thing, you know, your
overall network is performingbetter.
Manufacturers operating inindustries such as automotive,
(08:05):
aerospace, pharmaceuticals,where that production process
really demand that real timemonitoring and control.
They have to rely on high speedswitches Because they're trying
to maintain productivity levelsand accuracy and quality levels
, and they can't be anythingother than reliable.
(08:28):
So by investing in the switchescapable of supporting, you know
, a gigabit or even 10 gigabitsof eSIMnet speeds, manufacturers
out there can startfuture-proofing their networks
and accommodate the increasingdemands of these advanced
(08:49):
technologies that are coming in.
Because, let's just face it,the more and more technology
that comes into your plant, it'snot getting dumber, it's
getting smarter, it's asking formore, it needs more bandwidth,
it needs more access, it needsmore of what's your network can
sustain.
So the infrastructure, thebackbone, is crucial.
And, conversely, if the systemrequirements don't warrant the
(09:14):
speed, hey, there's anopportunity for some call
savings and that's worthexploring and thinking about.
And this is where partners likeEgo can assist you to ensure
that the hardware that you'reselecting is what is needed,
because you don't want tomismatch here, because you want
(09:35):
to make the best informeddecision possible, particularly
when it comes to your networkswitches, because there's so
much out there to think aboutand we'll give you a couple just
to consider right now.
Because you have some bigplayers you have Stratix, you
have Hirschmans, you have othersand at the forefront of
industrial networking you havethese two that we really focus
(09:59):
on At ECO we can help you with,because these manufacturers have
continually pushed and pushedand pushed and extended the
boundaries of innovation.
They're robust solutions, theyhave feature rich managed
switches and they're tailored tothe unique demands of
(10:22):
industrial applications.
So let's just get realIndustrial applications.
They just demand more.
So we have things like theStratix 5410.
It's a powerhouse, it really is.
It's very intelligent, it'sresilient, it's designed to be
in that harsh industrialenvironment, and then you start
equipping that with advancedtraffic control capabilities,
(10:43):
some security features that arejust out of this world.
And then you have the remotemanagement functionality, which
is awesome.
Let's just face it.
Everybody likes the remotemanagement piece of technology
5410, it's really helpingmanufacturers optimize that
network and enhance thatefficiency and ultimately, at
(11:03):
the end of the day, it's allabout improving uptime.
Then you get the guys over atHirschmans and they have a very
comprehensive portfolio and theyhave these industrial grade
switches.
I was looking at one called theGreyhound I think that's kind
of a cool name for a switch, bythe way Greyhound, the 105106.
And it has unparalleledreliability and versatility.
(11:24):
So you have ruggedized switchesright here capable of
withstanding extremetemperatures.
And let's just face it, I'vebeen in some pretty hot, nasty
industrial manufacturingfacilities and temperatures can
really be volatile.
You've got to make sure thatthe equipment you're installing
can withstand the environmentthat you're placing it in,
(11:45):
because those stresses are realand that equipment can't handle
it.
Well, guess what?
You're potentially puttingyourself at risk.
So you need to have technologylike the Stratix, like the
Hirschman, that can survive andthrive in these environments and
give you that advanced digitaldiagnostic tools to make better
(12:06):
decisions.
So these guys are reallysetting the standard here, if
you will, around networkswitches.
So now let me start thinkingabout managed versus network.
Then it's managed versusunmanaged.
Rather, there are somedifferences that you still need
to think about as we peel backthe layers of this on you a
(12:28):
little bit further, because thisis really a critical decision
and the implications for networkperformance, scalability,
security, all the things.
They're high.
And again, that unmanagedswitch is very simple, it's very
cost effective and they lackthe advanced features and the
(12:51):
configurability of it.
And they also operate on aplug-and-play basis, which is
kind of interesting when youthink about it, because there's
not a lot of setup orconfiguration and, with small
scale deployments with a verylimited network complexity, they
(13:12):
offer a little visibility orcontrol, leaving you really
vulnerable to congestion.
So it's just something toconsider.
I'm not saying you have to goout and rip out all your
unmanaged switches, but youshould consider a plan for
modernization at some point,because configuration on the
industrial plant floor cancreate an opportunity for
(13:33):
outside threats, and this iswhat you hear over and over
again.
I've been in lots of differenttypes of training courses and
things like that aroundcybersecurity and different ways
that industrial manufacturingcan get access to from the
outside, and an open port thatis unmanaged is a dangerous,
dangerous place to be Because arogue person with access to an
(13:58):
unmanaged switch.
They can just wreak havoc.
Let's just be real.
No matter how robust yoursystem is, if you have an open
port on an unmanaged switch andyou have a rogue person, you're
at risk.
You're at risk.
This is something you need torecognize.
That's why there's certainthings you had to put in place
with these switches Some of thephysical things, like capping
(14:19):
off unused ports simple process.
But if they physically cannotplug their cable into a port,
well guess what?
That risk just went downsignificantly.
But if you had the unmanagedswitch in there and they plug it
in, all bets are off.
But if you had the managedswitch, you had that wealth of
(14:44):
features and functionalitiesdesigned to optimize that
performance and, moreimportantly, when you really
think about it, enhance thesecurity, because you're going
to be able to, with this,prioritize that traffic,
basically have a trafficcontroller setting up, okay, who
gets access to what, and thenyou can start monitoring in real
(15:08):
time what's going on on thatnetwork.
The managed switches really talkabout being empowered.
They can extremely empower youto mitigate any risk potentials
that are coming to attack yournetwork.
And as we start thinking aboutI've already talked about this,
(15:32):
used the word risk a lotSecurity is.
Enhancing security andsafeguarding your network is
crucial Because, as we pushforward in the industry, 4.0 and
smart manufacturing, the IOTand all these things continue to
grow, that security is, sadly,to be honest, it's an
(15:59):
afterthought for some people inindustry and it should be a key
concern drives so much of ourthoughts and our investments in
our projects.
Because you start thinkingabout the amount of data that's
being moved each day from aplant floor through an E-part
(16:19):
ERP system, an intersourceresource planning system, when
you use the need for enhancedsecurity.
I can't think of a time whereit could be any higher.
Also, ever you cannot outsourcethis.
Managed Ethernet switches andswitches here.
They are pivotal role infortifying that digital fortress
(16:44):
, if you will, on manufacturingfacilities, because you have to
have that robust security suchas port authentication, the VLAN
segmentation and access tocontrol this.
You have to have this in place.
If you're just playing aroundwith the managed switch, what
are you doing?
So strategically implementingsecurity measures at the network
(17:09):
level, you can start reallyputting those potential cyber
attacks to the side.
This is not going to happen.
They can try.
But there's easier targets outthere.
You can start safeguarding yourdata.
Just face it.
Your intellectual property,your IP, that is your business.
(17:29):
You better safeguard it.
You need to be in compliancewith industry regulations.
Managed switches can do this.
A cool part is so many of thesemanaged switches now can
facilitate seamless integrationwith security applications
protocols, so that can enableyou that comprehensive threat
(17:52):
detection.
You're constantly seeing how'smy network?
Is it safe, are we under attack?
And then you can startmitigating those capabilities
and start addressing themone-on-one.
So, as manufacturing out there,as they embark on their journey
(18:14):
towards that digitaltransformation we hear that all
the time right, digitaltransformation, smart
manufacturing, 4.0, whatever youwant to call it I can't
emphasize enough the importanceof industrial networks, which is
can I be emphasized enough?
Can I overstate it more andmore and more than right now?
Because these are criticalcomponents and they're a
linchpin of interconnectedsystems.
(18:34):
They really are, and theyenable seamless communication,
they enable real-time dataexchange and they enable
intelligent decision-making.
So, but in order to harnessthis, the power of these managed
switches, you have toprioritize a few things.
(18:57):
You have to prioritizeeducation, you need to make
investment on a priority.
You need to make collaborationa big deal and you need to
partner up.
I'm telling you again partnerup with teams and even if you're
not an electrical equipmentcompany service area, find
another partner, leverage thestate of the art technologies.
Me need to make sure thatyou're future-proofing your
(19:21):
operations, thinking about yourinnovation, staying ahead of the
curve and all that stuff.
And I'll tell you this go inand have an opportunity, request
opportunities and demos to seehow this can work specifically
for you, and this is why wecreated our labs at an
electrical equipment company.
We want our customers to comein, particularly when there's a
(19:45):
project like this You'rethinking about converting to a
network switch so they can seefirsthand the process of how it
works.
So connect with us.
We'll have links in the shownotes where you can go do that
as well, because this has beensomething that has been on our
mind and we have been investingin heavily over the years
(20:05):
Because we want to help you growin wisdom and knowledge.
Everything industrialmanufacturing took their own.
These areas, I mean I go allthe way back.
Thinking back, I was doing someresearch for this episode and
on episode 16 of ECO SY and Ijust for kind of give you a
state of point of reference,we're at roughly 250 plus
(20:28):
episodes of ECO SY, gettingclose to 260.
So way back on episode 16, wehad an in depth discussion.
It was awesome and in there wetalked about managed versus
unmanaged switches.
We had this expert in and shehad a lot of nuances on the
(20:50):
decision making here and theyprovide some really great
insights about the differencesbetween the two types of
switches and their respectiveapplications, and the managed
switches offer, how they offerthat unparalleled flexibility
and control, kind of allowingthose manufacturers to finally
tune their networkconfigurations.
(21:11):
And then we talked about thingslike port based VLANs and the
quality of service settings, andmanaged switches enable
efficient traffic management andoptimizations.
So we really dug deep,particularly around the areas of
the complexities in themanufacturing environment.
(21:31):
And then, on the other hand,unmanaged switches.
We're really we talked aboutthat in depth, about their
praise because they're simpleand they're cost effective.
So they're, in certainapplications, small scale
deployments, or, if you had anisolated network segment where
you really could isolate it,they seem to work fine.
But what was clearly emphasizedwas the importance of
(21:53):
considering factors such as thatnetwork isolation, though.
And then, what capabilities didyou need to diagnose the
network?
And then, so far as long termscalability, where were you?
Because that's going to helpyou make the best decision
between managed and unmanaged.
And as you think about costs Iknow costs is a big deal today
that plays a role we just had tobe real.
(22:14):
That is a role in the decisionmaking process Because, let's
just face it, the managedswitches are cheaper.
They are, but the additionalfeatures and functionalities
offered by the managed, such asthe diagnostics and all the
things we talked about, thesecurity measures they can give
you something that I like torefer to as peace of mind.
(22:35):
Peace of mind, no one wants tobe woken up in middle of the
night with a cybersecuritythreat or your network's been
compromised.
So peace of mind.
So we'll have a link in theshow notes for you if you want
to go check that out for thatepisode of ECO SY, because that
was a powerful conversation.
It was one I learned a lot fromand hopefully you guys can go
back and check that out and seeif it would help you as well.
(22:58):
I just kind of want to just wrapup here with I want you to
navigate the future withconfidence, particularly around
this topic, because networkswitches, when you start
thinking about it, they are thecornerstone, they just are.
In every mining manufacturerout there you have network
switches and they're thefoundation for connectivity, for
(23:20):
efficiency, for security, forinteroperability, all the
different things that we'redoing.
And with this evolution,technology and again, smart
manufacturing, smartmanufacturing 4.0, all these
things the demand for managedswitches is surging and that
demand is driving innovationwith the manufacturers and
(23:44):
they're redefining so manythings that we never thought of
before in industrialmanufacturing and automation.
So if you embrace thecapabilities of some of these
brands, like we've mentioned acouple here today, stratix and
Hirschman you can embark on ajourney of digital
transformation with onecomponent that so many people
(24:05):
like, that's confidence,confidence.
We want you to know that yourinfrastructure is equipped to
meet your demands, not just fortoday, but for tomorrow, for the
future.
We want to help you, we want tohelp you navigate this.
(24:25):
We want to help you make thebest decisions so that you can
move forward with resilience.
You can move forward and beadaptable for the technology,
for the changes that's going tocome to your process in the
future.
We want you to be determined todo this.
I'm just here to tell you again, for the final time, our team
at Eco Electric EquipmentCompany.
We're ready to serve.
I'm going to answer those hardquestions, particularly
(24:47):
regarding your industrialnetworks, which and this
technology, of this level, itimpacts everyone.
You can't avoid, afford ratherto avoid this, because you
potentially could be openinginherent risk when it comes to
your network and your business.
(25:08):
If you think that you know what.
I may be at risk to think aboutit.
I don't know how many networkswhich is unmanaged, which is we
have.
I really don't know the bestplan forward.
We have a way to help you withthat.
It's called a networkassessment.
We can come in and help youwith a network assessment, see
what's installed, see what yourexisting base is, and help you
(25:30):
figure out a plan moving forwardfor the areas of highest risk
first.
Hey, if this was our facility,here's what we would recommend.
Work with us.
We want to hear, we want tohelp you make the decisions,
because we know that everydecision that you make has a
potential for impact.
Does so, no matter how complexthe solution.
(25:51):
We're here, we want to leaninto it with you.
We're going to help you figureit out.
If we can't figure out directly, we have resources that can.
Again, confidence how confidentare you in your industrial
network?
What would it take to elevatethat level of confidence
(26:14):
directly?
That's what we're here offering.
That's what we want to help youwith, because we know you have a
lot of goals.
We know that you have a lot ofthings that have been installed.
Lots of equipment is changing,upgrades, all the things that
are happening in your plan,because you have to make your
product, your solution, whateveryou're bringing into the world,
(26:34):
the most efficient way possible, at the best cost, the best
quality.
That means your network has gotto be reliable.
You can't be hit and miss.
And is it down today?
Is it not going to be down?
We're running this process nowand this is going to consume
this much bandwidth and I wonderhow that's going to impact this
section of plan over here.
You can't have that.
(26:55):
You can't have that.
Your manufacturing goals alltie together Everything.
I call them cascading goals.
Everything cascades up.
But each one of those steps ina cascading goal is crucial and
you can't skip over it.
You can't just fly by it.
Take the time, ask the questions, let the team of the eco come
(27:19):
in, be a consultant, be asounding board.
Okay, we have this going on.
What do you think?
That's what it's all about.
Then come to a lab Again, ifyou're not in our service area,
go find a lab somewhere andwhere you're at, and tell them
hey, I want to learn more aboutindustrial managed switches and
I want you to see the technologyfirsthand.
(27:41):
They're out there.
You just got to take thoseproactive steps.
I encourage you to check out theshow notes.
We'll try to have links in theshow notes where you can
schedule time in our labsdirectly, where you can learn
more about these switches, whereyou can go to Eco online to
learn about these productsspecifically and to connect with
this.
Ultimately, we want to help you.
We send lots of resources outeach month.
(28:04):
We want to be here for you tosupport, to encourage, to
empower you, to help make betterdecisions.
Connect with us.
If you're not connected to usright now, go to the show notes.
You'll find ways you canconnect with an electrical
equipment company directly.
We're on LinkedIn.
We're very big on LinkedIn.
We have a good presence there.
We try to serve people that way.
You can connect with us there.
You can ask us questions there.
There's all sorts of ways toget information to us.
(28:27):
Eco online says EECO onlinecomis a website.
Love for you to check that out.
If you're enjoying this contentand you're an industrial
manufacturing, share withsomeone.
Take the opportunity to say hey, this is a very niche podcast
(28:47):
around industrial manufacturing,but on this one for networks,
which is thank you for somethingyou should consider, I want to
share this with you.
It could go a long way.
That would be awesome.
Give us a rating and review,that'd be incredible too.
Just give us a little thumbs up, a five star right, a little
one or two sentences.
We love to see that.
Let us know how we can serve you, let us know how we can connect
(29:09):
with you.
Let us know what questions thatyou have, so that we can make
sure we get the right resourcesin place to give you to feel the
need that you have, as we knowout here, when you start looking
at all the differenttechnologies that are out there
all different solutions andeverybody has all the features
and benefits right.
The problem with features andbenefits is most of the features
(29:30):
and benefits don't matter.
We need to get down to thefeatures and benefits that
matter most to you.
That's where our team at Eco ishere to help.
Trust us.
We get the pitches all the time.
We know what the manufacturersthink is important, but what we
will really focus on is what'simportant to you.
It doesn't matter what I thinkis important Ultimately if it
(29:52):
doesn't meet your goal, yourdesired outcome, your needs.
It's not a value.
That's where we lock in on,that's where we focus and that's
how we're here to help.
Again, head over to ecoonlinecomGreat way to connect with this.
If you want to go to ecoaskycom, that's a great way to connect
with this there as well, tocheck out any of these previous
(30:14):
episodes that I talked aboutearlier.
All that stuff is great.
Again, we're heavy on LinkedIn,so you'll find us there on
LinkedIn.
You can connect with me as well.
You can check out the shownotes.
We'll have ways you can connectwith us directly.
We just want to be here for you.
We just want to help serve,want to help connect the dots.
We'd love to get your feedbackon the new format of eco-asy.
It's just been a joy to getthis back going to continue to
(30:39):
serve, to continue to put goodinformation out, to continue to
focus on people and ideas overproducts and to really lock in
on that topic of how can we helpand encourage and empower and
help you make better decisions.
That's what it's all about, allright, so have a great day.
I look forward to the nextepisode with you.
Thank you so much Again.
(31:00):
Check out the show notes forall the resources and remember,
at the end of the day, keepasking why.
Thank you for listening toecoaswy.
This show is supported ad freeby Electrical Equipment Company
Eco is redefining theexpectations of an electrical
distributor by placing peopleand ideas before products.
(31:20):
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Also leave comments, feedbackand any new topics that you
would like to hear.
To learn more or to share yourinsights, visit ecoasycom.
That's E, e, c, o, a, s, k, s,w H Y dot com.
Welcome to ECO Ask why, a podcast that dives into
industrial manufacturing topicsand spotlights the heroes to
keep America running.
I'm your host, chris Granger,and on this podcast we do not
cover the latest features andbenefits on products that come
to market.
Instead, we focus on advice andinsight from the top minds of
industry, because people andideas will be how America
(00:24):
remains number one inmanufacturing in the world.
Welcome to ECO Ask why.
I'm your host, chris Granger,and let's get right into it.
So you have a new format hereon ECO Ask why.
We've been trying out for thelast several months and
feedback's been great.
So we really focusing on theideas that you need help with
(00:47):
moving forward in industrialmanufacturing, and we started
off by talking about installedasset analysis and how important
it is to understand theequipment that you have
installed so that you can makebetter decisions.
And then we talked aboutmastering system design and how
you need to make sure thatyou're putting all the right
components in place to have thatideal system that you need to
(01:10):
meet your objectives and yourgoals moving forward.
Then we started taking a deeplook into smart motor protection
and how smart motor protectionhas evolved and how you can
utilize that technology insideyour facility today to make
better decisions.
Then we started talking allabout the IOT and everything
(01:30):
around industrial automation,with that and the importance of
that, and then our last episodefocused heavily on power
monitoring and the way that thetechnology around power
monitoring has evolved.
So where now power monitoringis something that everyone in
industrial manufacturing canutilize?
The technology is there, thedata is there.
(01:52):
So we're hoping that this typesof conversations and feedback
and information is empoweringyou to make better decisions.
So now, talking aboutautomation, power monitoring,
we're going to keep working downthis evolution in industrial
(02:12):
manufacturing.
And today we're talking aboutnetwork switches, because a
network switch is a backbone.
It's a key, key component thatyou need to have a good
understanding and there's a lotof confusion around this topic.
So we think about criticalequipment, often Think about the
vital infrastructure thatdetermines production schedules,
(02:35):
the possibilities and, at theend of the day, it's all about
revenues.
Let's just be real.
And in the modern day factorywe can add another piece of
equipment into that rostle ofvital.
You can't go wrong, you can'tdo without this stuff.
And that's the industrialnetwork switch, because the
(02:57):
industrial 4.0 that we live intoday, managed switches are keys
toa reliable, efficient andsecure process in business.
We can't emphasize this enough.
And they have lots of othertechnologies available and the
choices out there let's justface it, they can be daunting
(03:19):
and you want to make the bestdecision that you possibly can.
I just want to encourage you,the team of an electrical
equipment company that only canconnect you with the latest
technologies, but we can alsocouple that with access to some
of the best networking,industrial networking minds
available.
So you want to walk inconfidence, moving forward, an
assurance that you're pickingthe right hardware and you're
(03:41):
implementing it the correct way.
This is what we do, this is howwe help.
So I encourage you again gocheck out the links in the show
notes here.
We have lots of ways that youcan connect with us and have
these, start these conversationsright now.
If you have questions, if youhave applications, all that
stuff, if you want to come seeit, see it work firsthand, we
(04:02):
have the ability to do that andwe encourage you to do that.
So let's kind of start off withthis conversation here, just
talking about the transitionfrom the unmanaged switches of
the past to managed switches andjust to understand the switch,
because for decades unmanagedswitches.
They kind of been the go tothey really have for industrial
(04:24):
networking, and it's reallydriven by two factors they were
affordable and they were simple.
If you couple affordable andsimple together, I'm usually in.
So when you start thinkingabout the smart manufacturing
and everything is happeningthere and the exponential growth
of these interconnected devices, the limitations of these
(04:49):
unmanaged switches is prettyevident.
It's pretty scary, because theylack the intelligence and the
configurability that's reallynecessary to optimize your
network performance.
That's what it's about, and youwant to make sure you're
mitigating any bottlenecks, andthe unmanaged switches just
(05:10):
can't do that, and often, whenyou have those in place, you
have more unplanned downtime,and when you need to have that,
you're compromising productivity, and we all know how
competitive the landscape is.
The industrial manufacturing,whatever segment you're in,
whatever market, it'scompetitive, and you can't
(05:30):
afford that downtime or anythingthat would jeopardize your
process.
Managed networks, which is,though?
They represent a change and thebasic assumptions of industrial
networking, because whatthey're offering is unparalleled
control and visibility over thetraffic Because, unlike the
(05:54):
unmanaged guys, managed switchesempower you, so you can
prioritize critical datatransmissions, you can really
optimize your bandwidth and youcan be proactive in managing
that congestion.
Sometimes congestion is goingto happen, but if you can be
(06:14):
proactive and do things tomitigate that, it's a game
changer.
And it's this level of granularcontrol that is so
indispensable in modernmanufacturing.
Because we know what's the oldsaying in business time is money
right, and in manufacturing wecan get down to the millisecond
(06:36):
where those milliseconds cancost you money and have a huge
impact on the bottom line.
So, managed switches when youare saying, okay, for this piece
of data, you're going to thisport and I want you to do this
that changes everything, becauseso much of it comes down when
(06:58):
you really start thinking aboutprocesses.
Now, in industrial manufacturingit comes down to speed, speed
and one of the critical factorsthat needs to be taken into
consideration when you startassessing equipment Is the speed
in which the decisions aregoing to be made.
(07:20):
How is the data going to beutilized?
So where you have timesensitive data transmission,
let's say that stuff isparamount.
You got to have that data here,no matter what.
The speed at that switch placeis a crucial role to ensure that
efficient communication and theseamless operation of the
(07:43):
process.
So you have the switches withthe higher speeds can facilitate
those faster exchange rates.
That's what it's all about.
And you can reduce your latencyand, next thing, you know, your
overall network is performingbetter.
Manufacturers operating inindustries such as automotive,
(08:05):
aerospace, pharmaceuticals,where that production process
really demand that real timemonitoring and control.
They have to rely on high speedswitches Because they're trying
to maintain productivity levelsand accuracy and quality levels
, and they can't be anythingother than reliable.
(08:28):
So by investing in the switchescapable of supporting, you know
, a gigabit or even 10 gigabitsof eSIMnet speeds, manufacturers
out there can startfuture-proofing their networks
and accommodate the increasingdemands of these advanced
(08:49):
technologies that are coming in.
Because, let's just face it,the more and more technology
that comes into your plant, it'snot getting dumber, it's
getting smarter, it's asking formore, it needs more bandwidth,
it needs more access, it needsmore of what's your network can
sustain.
So the infrastructure, thebackbone, is crucial.
And, conversely, if the systemrequirements don't warrant the
(09:14):
speed, hey, there's anopportunity for some call
savings and that's worthexploring and thinking about.
And this is where partners likeEgo can assist you to ensure
that the hardware that you'reselecting is what is needed,
because you don't want tomismatch here, because you want
(09:35):
to make the best informeddecision possible, particularly
when it comes to your networkswitches, because there's so
much out there to think aboutand we'll give you a couple just
to consider right now.
Because you have some bigplayers you have Stratix, you
have Hirschmans, you have othersand at the forefront of
industrial networking you havethese two that we really focus
(09:59):
on At ECO we can help you with,because these manufacturers have
continually pushed and pushedand pushed and extended the
boundaries of innovation.
They're robust solutions, theyhave feature rich managed
switches and they're tailored tothe unique demands of
(10:22):
industrial applications.
So let's just get realIndustrial applications.
They just demand more.
So we have things like theStratix 5410.
It's a powerhouse, it really is.
It's very intelligent, it'sresilient, it's designed to be
in that harsh industrialenvironment, and then you start
equipping that with advancedtraffic control capabilities,
(10:43):
some security features that arejust out of this world.
And then you have the remotemanagement functionality, which
is awesome.
Let's just face it.
Everybody likes the remotemanagement piece of technology
5410, it's really helpingmanufacturers optimize that
network and enhance thatefficiency and ultimately, at
(11:03):
the end of the day, it's allabout improving uptime.
Then you get the guys over atHirschmans and they have a very
comprehensive portfolio and theyhave these industrial grade
switches.
I was looking at one called theGreyhound I think that's kind
of a cool name for a switch, bythe way Greyhound, the 105106.
And it has unparalleledreliability and versatility.
(11:24):
So you have ruggedized switchesright here capable of
withstanding extremetemperatures.
And let's just face it, I'vebeen in some pretty hot, nasty
industrial manufacturingfacilities and temperatures can
really be volatile.
You've got to make sure thatthe equipment you're installing
can withstand the environmentthat you're placing it in,
(11:45):
because those stresses are realand that equipment can't handle
it.
Well, guess what?
You're potentially puttingyourself at risk.
So you need to have technologylike the Stratix, like the
Hirschman, that can survive andthrive in these environments and
give you that advanced digitaldiagnostic tools to make better
(12:06):
decisions.
So these guys are reallysetting the standard here, if
you will, around networkswitches.
So now let me start thinkingabout managed versus network.
Then it's managed versusunmanaged.
Rather, there are somedifferences that you still need
to think about as we peel backthe layers of this on you a
(12:28):
little bit further, because thisis really a critical decision
and the implications for networkperformance, scalability,
security, all the things.
They're high.
And again, that unmanagedswitch is very simple, it's very
cost effective and they lackthe advanced features and the
(12:51):
configurability of it.
And they also operate on aplug-and-play basis, which is
kind of interesting when youthink about it, because there's
not a lot of setup orconfiguration and, with small
scale deployments with a verylimited network complexity, they
(13:12):
offer a little visibility orcontrol, leaving you really
vulnerable to congestion.
So it's just something toconsider.
I'm not saying you have to goout and rip out all your
unmanaged switches, but youshould consider a plan for
modernization at some point,because configuration on the
industrial plant floor cancreate an opportunity for
(13:33):
outside threats, and this iswhat you hear over and over
again.
I've been in lots of differenttypes of training courses and
things like that aroundcybersecurity and different ways
that industrial manufacturingcan get access to from the
outside, and an open port thatis unmanaged is a dangerous,
dangerous place to be Because arogue person with access to an
(13:58):
unmanaged switch.
They can just wreak havoc.
Let's just be real.
No matter how robust yoursystem is, if you have an open
port on an unmanaged switch andyou have a rogue person, you're
at risk.
You're at risk.
This is something you need torecognize.
That's why there's certainthings you had to put in place
with these switches Some of thephysical things, like capping
(14:19):
off unused ports simple process.
But if they physically cannotplug their cable into a port,
well guess what?
That risk just went downsignificantly.
But if you had the unmanagedswitch in there and they plug it
in, all bets are off.
But if you had the managedswitch, you had that wealth of
(14:44):
features and functionalitiesdesigned to optimize that
performance and, moreimportantly, when you really
think about it, enhance thesecurity, because you're going
to be able to, with this,prioritize that traffic,
basically have a trafficcontroller setting up, okay, who
gets access to what, and thenyou can start monitoring in real
(15:08):
time what's going on on thatnetwork.
The managed switches really talkabout being empowered.
They can extremely empower youto mitigate any risk potentials
that are coming to attack yournetwork.
And as we start thinking aboutI've already talked about this,
(15:32):
used the word risk a lotSecurity is.
Enhancing security andsafeguarding your network is
crucial Because, as we pushforward in the industry, 4.0 and
smart manufacturing, the IOTand all these things continue to
grow, that security is, sadly,to be honest, it's an
(15:59):
afterthought for some people inindustry and it should be a key
concern drives so much of ourthoughts and our investments in
our projects.
Because you start thinkingabout the amount of data that's
being moved each day from aplant floor through an E-part
(16:19):
ERP system, an intersourceresource planning system, when
you use the need for enhancedsecurity.
I can't think of a time whereit could be any higher.
Also, ever you cannot outsourcethis.
Managed Ethernet switches andswitches here.
They are pivotal role infortifying that digital fortress
(16:44):
, if you will, on manufacturingfacilities, because you have to
have that robust security suchas port authentication, the VLAN
segmentation and access tocontrol this.
You have to have this in place.
If you're just playing aroundwith the managed switch, what
are you doing?
So strategically implementingsecurity measures at the network
(17:09):
level, you can start reallyputting those potential cyber
attacks to the side.
This is not going to happen.
They can try.
But there's easier targets outthere.
You can start safeguarding yourdata.
Just face it.
Your intellectual property,your IP, that is your business.
(17:29):
You better safeguard it.
You need to be in compliancewith industry regulations.
Managed switches can do this.
A cool part is so many of thesemanaged switches now can
facilitate seamless integrationwith security applications
protocols, so that can enableyou that comprehensive threat
(17:52):
detection.
You're constantly seeing how'smy network?
Is it safe, are we under attack?
And then you can startmitigating those capabilities
and start addressing themone-on-one.
So, as manufacturing out there,as they embark on their journey
(18:14):
towards that digitaltransformation we hear that all
the time right, digitaltransformation, smart
manufacturing, 4.0, whatever youwant to call it I can't
emphasize enough the importanceof industrial networks, which is
can I be emphasized enough?
Can I overstate it more andmore and more than right now?
Because these are criticalcomponents and they're a
linchpin of interconnectedsystems.
(18:34):
They really are, and theyenable seamless communication,
they enable real-time dataexchange and they enable
intelligent decision-making.
So, but in order to harnessthis, the power of these managed
switches, you have toprioritize a few things.
(18:57):
You have to prioritizeeducation, you need to make
investment on a priority.
You need to make collaborationa big deal and you need to
partner up.
I'm telling you again partnerup with teams and even if you're
not an electrical equipmentcompany service area, find
another partner, leverage thestate of the art technologies.
Me need to make sure thatyou're future-proofing your
(19:21):
operations, thinking about yourinnovation, staying ahead of the
curve and all that stuff.
And I'll tell you this go inand have an opportunity, request
opportunities and demos to seehow this can work specifically
for you, and this is why wecreated our labs at an
electrical equipment company.
We want our customers to comein, particularly when there's a
(19:45):
project like this You'rethinking about converting to a
network switch so they can seefirsthand the process of how it
works.
So connect with us.
We'll have links in the shownotes where you can go do that
as well, because this has beensomething that has been on our
mind and we have been investingin heavily over the years
(20:05):
Because we want to help you growin wisdom and knowledge.
Everything industrialmanufacturing took their own.
These areas, I mean I go allthe way back.
Thinking back, I was doing someresearch for this episode and
on episode 16 of ECO SY and Ijust for kind of give you a
state of point of reference,we're at roughly 250 plus
(20:28):
episodes of ECO SY, gettingclose to 260.
So way back on episode 16, wehad an in depth discussion.
It was awesome and in there wetalked about managed versus
unmanaged switches.
We had this expert in and shehad a lot of nuances on the
(20:50):
decision making here and theyprovide some really great
insights about the differencesbetween the two types of
switches and their respectiveapplications, and the managed
switches offer, how they offerthat unparalleled flexibility
and control, kind of allowingthose manufacturers to finally
tune their networkconfigurations.
(21:11):
And then we talked about thingslike port based VLANs and the
quality of service settings, andmanaged switches enable
efficient traffic management andoptimizations.
So we really dug deep,particularly around the areas of
the complexities in themanufacturing environment.
(21:31):
And then, on the other hand,unmanaged switches.
We're really we talked aboutthat in depth, about their
praise because they're simpleand they're cost effective.
So they're, in certainapplications, small scale
deployments, or, if you had anisolated network segment where
you really could isolate it,they seem to work fine.
But what was clearly emphasizedwas the importance of
(21:53):
considering factors such as thatnetwork isolation, though.
And then, what capabilities didyou need to diagnose the
network?
And then, so far as long termscalability, where were you?
Because that's going to helpyou make the best decision
between managed and unmanaged.
And as you think about costs Iknow costs is a big deal today
that plays a role we just had tobe real.
(22:14):
That is a role in the decisionmaking process Because, let's
just face it, the managedswitches are cheaper.
They are, but the additionalfeatures and functionalities
offered by the managed, such asthe diagnostics and all the
things we talked about, thesecurity measures they can give
you something that I like torefer to as peace of mind.
(22:35):
Peace of mind, no one wants tobe woken up in middle of the
night with a cybersecuritythreat or your network's been
compromised.
So peace of mind.
So we'll have a link in theshow notes for you if you want
to go check that out for thatepisode of ECO SY, because that
was a powerful conversation.
It was one I learned a lot fromand hopefully you guys can go
back and check that out and seeif it would help you as well.
(22:58):
I just kind of want to just wrapup here with I want you to
navigate the future withconfidence, particularly around
this topic, because networkswitches, when you start
thinking about it, they are thecornerstone, they just are.
In every mining manufacturerout there you have network
switches and they're thefoundation for connectivity, for
(23:20):
efficiency, for security, forinteroperability, all the
different things that we'redoing.
And with this evolution,technology and again, smart
manufacturing, smartmanufacturing 4.0, all these
things the demand for managedswitches is surging and that
demand is driving innovationwith the manufacturers and
(23:44):
they're redefining so manythings that we never thought of
before in industrialmanufacturing and automation.
So if you embrace thecapabilities of some of these
brands, like we've mentioned acouple here today, stratix and
Hirschman you can embark on ajourney of digital
transformation with onecomponent that so many people
(24:05):
like, that's confidence,confidence.
We want you to know that yourinfrastructure is equipped to
meet your demands, not just fortoday, but for tomorrow, for the
future.
We want to help you, we want tohelp you navigate this.
(24:25):
We want to help you make thebest decisions so that you can
move forward with resilience.
You can move forward and beadaptable for the technology,
for the changes that's going tocome to your process in the
future.
We want you to be determined todo this.
I'm just here to tell you again, for the final time, our team
at Eco Electric EquipmentCompany.
We're ready to serve.
I'm going to answer those hardquestions, particularly
(24:47):
regarding your industrialnetworks, which and this
technology, of this level, itimpacts everyone.
You can't avoid, afford ratherto avoid this, because you
potentially could be openinginherent risk when it comes to
your network and your business.
(25:08):
If you think that you know what.
I may be at risk to think aboutit.
I don't know how many networkswhich is unmanaged, which is we
have.
I really don't know the bestplan forward.
We have a way to help you withthat.
It's called a networkassessment.
We can come in and help youwith a network assessment, see
what's installed, see what yourexisting base is, and help you
(25:30):
figure out a plan moving forwardfor the areas of highest risk
first.
Hey, if this was our facility,here's what we would recommend.
Work with us.
We want to hear, we want tohelp you make the decisions,
because we know that everydecision that you make has a
potential for impact.
Does so, no matter how complexthe solution.
(25:51):
We're here, we want to leaninto it with you.
We're going to help you figureit out.
If we can't figure out directly, we have resources that can.
Again, confidence how confidentare you in your industrial
network?
What would it take to elevatethat level of confidence
(26:14):
directly?
That's what we're here offering.
That's what we want to help youwith, because we know you have a
lot of goals.
We know that you have a lot ofthings that have been installed.
Lots of equipment is changing,upgrades, all the things that
are happening in your plan,because you have to make your
product, your solution, whateveryou're bringing into the world,
(26:34):
the most efficient way possible, at the best cost, the best
quality.
That means your network has gotto be reliable.
You can't be hit and miss.
And is it down today?
Is it not going to be down?
We're running this process nowand this is going to consume
this much bandwidth and I wonderhow that's going to impact this
section of plan over here.
You can't have that.
(26:55):
You can't have that.
Your manufacturing goals alltie together Everything.
I call them cascading goals.
Everything cascades up.
But each one of those steps ina cascading goal is crucial and
you can't skip over it.
You can't just fly by it.
Take the time, ask the questions, let the team of the eco come
(27:19):
in, be a consultant, be asounding board.
Okay, we have this going on.
What do you think?
That's what it's all about.
Then come to a lab Again, ifyou're not in our service area,
go find a lab somewhere andwhere you're at, and tell them
hey, I want to learn more aboutindustrial managed switches and
I want you to see the technologyfirsthand.
(27:41):
They're out there.
You just got to take thoseproactive steps.
I encourage you to check out theshow notes.
We'll try to have links in theshow notes where you can
schedule time in our labsdirectly, where you can learn
more about these switches, whereyou can go to Eco online to
learn about these productsspecifically and to connect with
this.
Ultimately, we want to help you.
We send lots of resources outeach month.
(28:04):
We want to be here for you tosupport, to encourage, to
empower you, to help make betterdecisions.
Connect with us.
If you're not connected to usright now, go to the show notes.
You'll find ways you canconnect with an electrical
equipment company directly.
We're on LinkedIn.
We're very big on LinkedIn.
We have a good presence there.
We try to serve people that way.
You can connect with us there.
You can ask us questions there.
There's all sorts of ways toget information to us.
(28:27):
Eco online says EECO onlinecomis a website.
Love for you to check that out.
If you're enjoying this contentand you're an industrial
manufacturing, share withsomeone.
Take the opportunity to say hey, this is a very niche podcast
(28:47):
around industrial manufacturing,but on this one for networks,
which is thank you for somethingyou should consider, I want to
share this with you.
It could go a long way.
That would be awesome.
Give us a rating and review,that'd be incredible too.
Just give us a little thumbs up, a five star right, a little
one or two sentences.
We love to see that.
Let us know how we can serve you, let us know how we can connect
(29:09):
with you.
Let us know what questions thatyou have, so that we can make
sure we get the right resourcesin place to give you to feel the
need that you have, as we knowout here, when you start looking
at all the differenttechnologies that are out there
all different solutions andeverybody has all the features
and benefits right.
The problem with features andbenefits is most of the features
(29:30):
and benefits don't matter.
We need to get down to thefeatures and benefits that
matter most to you.
That's where our team at Eco ishere to help.
Trust us.
We get the pitches all the time.
We know what the manufacturersthink is important, but what we
will really focus on is what'simportant to you.
It doesn't matter what I thinkis important Ultimately if it
(29:52):
doesn't meet your goal, yourdesired outcome, your needs.
It's not a value.
That's where we lock in on,that's where we focus and that's
how we're here to help.
Again, head over to ecoonlinecomGreat way to connect with this.
If you want to go to ecoaskycom, that's a great way to connect
with this there as well, tocheck out any of these previous
(30:14):
episodes that I talked aboutearlier.
All that stuff is great.
Again, we're heavy on LinkedIn,so you'll find us there on
LinkedIn.
You can connect with me as well.
You can check out the shownotes.
We'll have ways you can connectwith us directly.
We just want to be here for you.
We just want to help serve,want to help connect the dots.
We'd love to get your feedbackon the new format of eco-asy.
It's just been a joy to getthis back going to continue to
(30:39):
serve, to continue to put goodinformation out, to continue to
focus on people and ideas overproducts and to really lock in
on that topic of how can we helpand encourage and empower and
help you make better decisions.
That's what it's all about, allright, so have a great day.
I look forward to the nextepisode with you.
Thank you so much Again.
(31:00):
Check out the show notes forall the resources and remember,
at the end of the day, keepasking why.
Thank you for listening toecoaswy.
This show is supported ad freeby Electrical Equipment Company
Eco is redefining theexpectations of an electrical
distributor by placing peopleand ideas before products.
(31:20):
Please subscribe and share withyour colleagues and friends.
Also leave comments, feedbackand any new topics that you
would like to hear.
To learn more or to share yourinsights, visit ecoasycom.
That's E, e, c, o, a, s, k, s,w H Y dot com.
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