Choosing smart cabling solutions for industrial applications

Investment is material: 78% allocate more than 20% of their improvement budget to smart manufacturing, and 88% expect investments to continue or increase in the next fiscal year. 

Deloitte also reports average net impacts of 10%–20% increases in production output, 7%–20% increases in employee productivity, and 10%–15% increases in unlocked capacity after implementing smart manufacturing initiatives. 

The Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC) similarly finds rising maturity: 75% of manufacturers place themselves at “mid-level” digital maturity. NAM’s summary of the MLC Smart Factories and Digital Production Survey notes that while 28% describe current operations as “smart/somewhat smart,” 76% expect to be there within two years; 34% see AI as “very significant,” up from 10% the prior year. 

Impact on the plant network

As plants add machine vision, connected-worker tooling, robots, and edge compute, network traffic shifts from “control only” to “control + data + analytics,” often in real time. Protocol data reflects this consolidation around Ethernet. HMS Networks’ 2025 industrial network market analysis estimates Ethernet-based industrial networks now account for 76% of new factory automation nodes (up from 71% in 2024). That drives two design moves:

· Moving uplinks/aggregation beyond 1G toward multi-gig (commonly 10G/25G) where data-heavy applications and edge clusters live.

· Bringing fiber deeper--beyond a single plant backbone—— into line/cell backbones that connect production islands, control rooms, and IT/OT aggregation.

How to tackle these challenges without over-specifying or overspending?

· Rely on cabling solutions that scale: Start with a structured, end-to-end design (field → cell/zone → plant aggregation → data center/cloud), then select media based on distance, environment, and upgrade path.

· Cat 6A as the rugged copper baseline: For balanced copper runs, Category 6A is a strong default because it supports 10GBASE-T over the full 100-meter channel length in standards-based deployments. In industrial environments, prioritize industrial-grade connectors, sealing, strain relief, and (where needed) shielding/grounding to manage EMI and vibration.

· Power over Ethernet (PoE), planned—not improvised: PoE reduces installation complexity for cameras, Wi-Fi access points, sensors, and some IIoT gateways. IEEE notes that PoE capabilities have expanded over time to as much as 90 W, making cabling/contact quality, as well as heat management, more critical than ever. 

· Cat 8 for short, high-bandwidth edge links: In micro data centers or edge closets—where links are brief, but bandwidth is high—Category 8 is designed to support 25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T over structured links up to 30 meters. 

· Fiber for backbones and convergence: Fiber remains the preferred choice for inter-building routes and plant backbones, and it increasingly supports line/cell backbones where distance, EMI immunity, and future speed upgrades matter. It also provides robust backhaul for dense wireless or private 5G deployments.

·  Single pair Ethernet to push IP to the edge: Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) extends Ethernet/IP deeper into the field. IEEE defines 10BASE-T1L as a long-reach option designed for industrial and IoT use, supporting links up to 1,000 meters—and suitable for sensors, controllers, and remote endpoints without intermediate gateways. 

Realizing a practical cabling roadmap

Smart manufacturing investment is rising, Industrial Ethernet is becoming the default connectivity layer, and plants are adding data-heavy edge capabilities.

The smart way ahead is hybrid: Cat 6A as the factory-floor baseline, Cat 8 for short, high-bandwidth edge links, fiber-rich backbones for distance and EMI immunity, and SPE for long-reach endpoints that require simple Ethernet integration. Although this is an extension of a standard structured cabling solution set, customers should select products that are suitable for harsh environments and indoor/outdoor use.