Introduction
To improve safety, increase operational efficiency, and lower costs, a big steel plant looked for a solution to upgrade its plant with automated wireless cranes that could be managed through a central control hub. The operating environment inside the plant is very demanding as equipment is constantly exposed to electromagnetic interference, heavy vibration, and dust, which can easily affect wireless signals. To ensure smooth operation, the plant needed both reliable software and rugged, industrial-grade hardware. The former to allow engineers to closely monitor and manage the wireless network in real time; the latter to withstand the tough environmental conditions.
System Requirements
- Easy-to-use, centralized network management software for swift and easy troubleshooting
- The ability to visualize invisible wireless connections to ensure wall-to-wall Wi-Fi connectivity
- Industrial-grade hardware that can withstand harsh environments
Moxa Solution
To help the plant transition to intelligent wireless crane systems, Moxa provided an integrated industrial wireless solution that included robust hardware and easy-to-use network management software, tailored for automated material handling (AMH) applications. Moxa’s AWK-4131A series of wireless AP/client is compliant with industrial standards and features millisecond-level client-based Turbo Roaming for smooth connection handovers. The wireless add-on for Moxa’s MXview network management software provided plant engineers the ability to monitor and manage the invisible wireless network in real time from a central location, ensuring wall-to-wall Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the plant and reducing the cost of troubleshooting and the risk of downtime.
Why Moxa
- An integrated industrial wireless solution that consists of robust hardware and accessible software, tailored for AMH applications
- Rugged wireless devices with fast roaming features
- Network management software to visualize the Wi-Fi network status for easy management
