The industrial network is the fundamental backbone for data collection and transmission to points of use. Industrial network applications range from the ability to trace quality of production lots, improve preventive maintenance schedules, manage and monitor processes, improve safety, and identify constraints to increase productivity. These applications are supported by a reliable and secure network to keep production flowing and business communication running smoothly where downtime is measured in minutes and in thousands of dollars from missed customer commitments.

This White Paper reviews the elements of an MDC and investigates the benefits of deploying this technology in an Industrial Automation environment.