Using the technologies of the Internet on a local Intranet can provide a cost-effective method of improving integration on the plant floor. While third-party retrofits can make these features available, equipment builders will probably take the lead in this area. Although many new controllers may include some of these features, a complete redesign of a controller by the equipment builder is expensive. The retrofit techniques, combined with relatively minor modification of existing controllers, are an easy way to provide additional features directly from the machine. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) can offer embedded Web pages for troubleshooting and maintenance, adding value for the customer.
