【2025 Industrial Automation News】Rockwell’s Ethernet/IP system in control cabinets revolutionizes the complicated wiring process in such cabinets
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This post was last edited by zhoudingshengs on 2025-6-14 16:22. Recently, the global automation giant Rockwell Automation released an Ethernet/IP system for use inside cabinets, which significantly simplifies panel wiring – which previously required complex cable bundles – by enabling connections through the network. With this unique Rockwell product, engineers need not wire each component individually; instead, all devices are connected through a single pair of Ethernet cables. This not only reduces wiring time by up to 80%, but also results in a more compact, intelligent, and sustainable control system.
Compared to traditional wiring systems, Rockwell’s cabinet Ethernet/IP system simplifies the wiring process and reduces common human errors.
Traditional control cabinets often require a large number of cables to connect devices such as motor starters, sensors, switches, terminal blocks, circuit breakers, and fuses. Each connection point must be installed and tested manually, which is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also prone to human errors such as wiring mistakes, inconsistent labeling, and missed connections. But now, the wiring time for control cabinets can be reduced, and for large-scale operations, the time cost associated with assembling control cabinets will be significantly lowered.
The Rockwell in-cabinet solution consists of a gateway, flat media cables, and communication interceptors.
With Rockwell’s indoor solutions, 7-core flat media cables can connect various components via Ethernet/IP protocols, which means that all devices share the same network for power supply and communication, creating a scalable and easy-to-maintain backbone architecture. A single pair of Ethernet cables not only reduces material costs and space requirements, but also minimizes the environmental impact of excessive use of copper and plastic.
Rockwell’s new in-cabinet Ethernet/IP system delivers a significant improvement in efficiency: while traditional wiring required over 20 hours to assemble the control cabinet, this solution reduces the time required to less than 7 hours, resulting in a 66% time savings in actual operation.
In addition to its efficiency advantages, this system also boasts significant environmental benefits. According to Volga’s statistics, the volume of the control cabinet has been reduced by 36% compared to traditional solutions, and its weight has been decreased by 32%, which in turn leads to a significant reduction in material consumption during manufacturing and transportation. In addition to significantly reducing the use of copper and plastic, the modular design and upgradeability allow the system to be adapted flexibly as needs change, without the need for a complete redesign, thus implementing sustainable practices throughout its entire life cycle.
Rockwell Automation is a leader in the global fields of industrial automation and information technology, dedicated to helping customers improve productivity and promote sustainable development around the world. The company was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It has branches in over 80 countries around the world and employs approximately 22,000 people. Its flagship product brands, Allen Bradley and FactoryTalk, enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide.
Rockwell Automation’s products are used in over 20 major industries, including automotive, food and beverage, life sciences, and semiconductors. The company offers a wide range of products and solutions that include programmable controllers such as the AB MicroLogix 1500, frequency converters like the AB PowerFlex 7000 and other medium-voltage as well as AC frequency converters, process control systems such as the AB ProcessLogix, motors and drives from the Kinetix series, and software products such as the ROCKWELL RSView32 human-machine interface software.
Rockwell places great emphasis on technological innovation and research and development; by relying on its own core technologies as well as partnerships with renowned global companies and research institutions, it continues to explore new application scenarios and solutions.
Rockwell Automation’s EtherNet/IP cabinet-based solutions restructure industrial wiring logic through network interconnection, not only overcoming the efficiency limitations associated with traditional control cabinet assembly but also reshaping the way industrial devices are connected through a digital approach. This innovation not only addresses the urgent need of the manufacturing industry to reduce costs and improve efficiency, but also provides a quantifiable approach for green manufacturing.