Use under extreme conditions

The Westfleisch Group is regarded as Germany’s third-largest meat producer, with more than 4,000 farmers working hand-in-hand as partners to the cooperative. Food production on such a scale cannot be handled without a powerful IT infrastructure. All machines communicate with the control input systems via network connections. Moreover, stringent quality standards apply in meat processing in particular: All production data must be captured in full and stored. Metal detectors, scales, optical control instruments – they all check the goods and pass on their data to central systems. Gigabit Ethernet switches from MICROSENS help ensure that at Westfleisch’s location in Oer-Erkenschwick. They reliably connect the local production systems to the network, withstanding even extreme ambient conditions.

The switch for all purposes

If a company decides to deploy industrial switches, a rugged solution is usually needed. That also goes for Westfleisch. The meat producer leverages several parameters of MICROSENS product specifications to the full: The switches are operated in cold or deep-freeze stores, in supply ducts for steam or warm water, and even in a narrow sewer shaft. In the view of Michael von Dewall, who is jointly responsible for the IT infrastructure at the Oer-Erkenschwick location, there are multiple arguments in favor of industrial switches from the German manufacturer: “It goes without saying that we attached special importance to ruggedness in selecting the components. Switches must work smoothly under our extreme production conditions. However, simple administration of the components, VLAN capability, and the possibility of supplying further devices with electricity by means of Power over Ethernet have also given us enormous advantages.”

Network technology in the sewer shaft

One very concrete example of that is the switch in the sewer shaft: The gate at the truck entrance was to be fitted with cameras so that vehicle registration numbers could be recorded. That would have needed two cables leading below the road – but only one already existed. The IT manager decided without any ado to have a MICROSENS industrial switch installed in the sewer shaft on the other side of the road. The technicians connected two video cameras to the switch, which are supplied with power by means of the switch’s PoE function. As a result, images are transmitted to the gatehouse smoothly – without the need for expensive construction work.

Two-fold savings

Implementing the new directives for energy audits also threatened to become an expensive affair for the food producer. Ten electricity meters had to be installed in the electrical room and be able to be read over the network. Connecting the meters directly to the network would have required a total of ten new cables to be laid. If the cables had been installed by an external service provider, that would have cost between €1,000 and €1,500 a cable. Instead, Westfleisch’s electrical room has also been fitted with a modular 12-port switch from MICROSENS as an inexpensive means of connecting all meters to the network.

Flexible and stable

All in all, Michael von Dewall is highly satisfied with the German manufacturer’s components: “Our network functions smoothly, we don’t have any outages, and all the components are working very stably despite the continuous additions.” The IT manager also appreciates the components’ scalability: “No matter what we need a switch for, MICROSENS always offers the right solution in the industrial environment – and one that can also be expanded if and when necessary.”

WLAN in production

The company now aims to leverage this flexibility to a greater extent in its production hall, too. The production machines have to keep on being converted, which regularly entails a lot of work and effort in changing the cabling. Consequently, Westfleisch’s production halls at the Oer-Erkenschwick site are to be equipped with a WLAN in the future. The WLAN bridges would then be connected to the network if required, likewise using MICROSENS switches.