One of the main trends of nowadays manufacturing infrastructure is substitution manpower by automated warehouse system for the automatic storage, handling and distribution of the goods. It is especially suitable for full unit loads of fast moving consumer goods in industries like food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, distribution and logistics, and for compact bulk storage for goods with longer time to market for replenishment of other warehouses or picking areas.

With the help of robotic distribution system, goods are automatically placed on cartons, boxes, pallets, and crates. After it, an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS or AS/RS) which consists of a variety of computer-controlled systems is used for automatically placing and retrieving loads from defined storage locations. Storage area is often physically divided; therefore, as a part of AS/RS system, automated guided vehicles (AGV) take loads into and out of the different parts of the storage areas and to the manufacturing floor and loading docks.

The main concerns for the automated warehouse are storage density (due to space constraints) and access accuracy (due to the possibility of expensive damages to the load). Consequently, seamless wireless connectivity for operating precision is required. WoMtechnology offers wireless solution ensuring continuous connectivity for precise warehouse automation processes:

Industrial-grade Dual Band Wireless Access Points WO7072 are set up along the warehouse framework (on the walls and on the ceiling), as well as on the storage shelves to provide fast roaming with the client AP installed on moving AGV. WO7072 is equipped with industry-leading 5.8G 802.11ac Wave 1 and 2.4G 802.11n dual radios providing dual band redundant wireless coverage. WO7072 can be changed to Controller-based AP management mode and integrated with WoMtechnology’s WLAN controller to support a 100ms Fast Roaming speed. The internal Dual band 9dBi 4T4R MIMO Antenna and option of wall or ceiling mounting of the product allow more flexible and convenient warehouse installation. WO7072 is equipped with rugged M12 connectors for USB configuration restoration and 24V/110V Power Input prolonging service life of the product. Moreover, WO7072 features -40~70°C wide operating temperature range and IP67 enclosure making it suitable for harsh industrial environment. The whole warehouse system is integrated with Control Office where Industrial WLAN Controller WC7004-25AP is deployed. WC7004-25AP is capable of managing up to 25 WO7072. Manufacturers can considerably save costs by APs’ central managing instead of individual AP’s management and eliminate possible implications for industrial WLAN performance caused by complex WLAN settings. Due to AP auto-discovery and auto-provision functions, the network installation and configuration processes are quick and easy. WC7004-25AP supports up to 8 WLAN profiles and up to 1000 concurrent users which is especially valuable for large-scale industrial networks covering spacious warehouses. Server-based 100ms Super Roaming provides uninterruptable data communication within WLAN while AP clients installed on AGV move from one access point to another.

As for industrial automation and process control, WoMtechnology has built a solution of Network design providing industrial sites with uninterrupted and sustainable data communication network, minimizing equipment malfunctions, process interruptions, and enhancing overall functionality of the industrial production equipment. WoMtechnology’s ruggedized industrial Ethernet switches are specially designed to tolerate and successfully function in harsh industrial environments.

On-site switch DS612:
■ Din-rail industrial L3 managed switches DS612 are deployed on highly automated production lines not only collecting data from different types of measurement/monitoring devices, e.g. time sensor, electricity meter, PLC, IP-video surveillance cameras, etc., but also providing reliable performance and seamless connectivity by means of Ring and Chain redundancy functions.

■ DS612 is equipped with 8 Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports for connecting to industrial automation system parts and 4 Gigabit SFP ports for uplink connection with Control Centers.
■ Except for high speed criteria, there is also a requirement for rugged design for sustaining harsh environments: DS612 successfully overcomes high electromagnetic interference and smoothly operates within wide -40~75°C temperature fluctuations.
■ Moreover, dual redundant 10.5~60VDC power input, network access control, advanced cyber security of DS612 ensure security and availability of industrial automation network.
■ Supporting industrial standard non-proprietary Ethernet/IP protocol allows combining with existing IT infrastructure with full capability of network scalability.
■ L3 routing functionality provides routing between different subnets and VLANs on large industrial Ethernet LAN.
■ High quality of fiber optical data transmission is guaranteed by digital diagnostic monitoring (DDM) function which allows monitoring real-time parameters of the fiber optic transceivers.

The ability to monitor and manage the network for supporting remotely located installations is a crucial demand for large-scale industrial automation and process control applications. Hence, system integrators should be guided by a high standard when choosing Control Centers’ backbone switches for managing compound automation networks. WoMtechnology’s hardened 19-inch L3 managed rackmount Ethernet switch RS628 is an ideal solution for Control Centers due to its advanced hardware and software features:
■ RS628 is equipped with 28 Full Gigabit ports for increased bandwidth which makes possible the receiving and transmission of large amounts of video and other types of industrial automation data.
■ Because of remote locations of Control Centers between each other and production sites, WAN connectivity is often used; consequently, there appears an increased threat of rogue’s server access to secret company’s data. Cyber Security functions ensure network data security and protect from cyber-attacks.
■ High network reliability is provided by wide -40~85°C operating temperature, isolated power inputs, and Redundancy functions integrated in RS628.
■ Full featured management set of RS628 includes VLAN, IGMP Snooping, Rapid Spanning Tree, DHCP server capabilities, SNMP management, and traffic prioritization.
■ RS628 supports Precision Time Protocol for sub-microsecond ranged time synchronization of distributed clocks over Ethernet, which is ideally suitable for deployment of RS628 in industrial measurement and control automation systems.

The network system solution developed by WoMtechnology ensures increased productivity across various sectors at the plant by providing high-speed, seamless data communication for sophisticated automation and efficient network management from remotely located Control Centers. Perfectly optimized production and control processes considerably benefit to company revenue which is the main purpose of any business.