New initiative to foster technology co-operation to innovation.

First phase of this initiative is focused on enabling part manufacturers to start production preparation before machine delivery.

Meet at the Machine is a new initiative from Siemens, designed to bring together machine builders, software and automation technologies to accelerate innovation across the machine tool industry and help manufacturers achieve productivity faster. It provides a framework for Siemens and machine builders to jointly deliver integrated machining solutions that address real manufacturing challenges. The initiative is designed to make manufacturing customers more productive and enhance quality and performance. It brings engineering software, automation hardware and machine expertise together in one solution, helping machine builders deliver differentiated value.

Manufacturers today face increasing complexity, workforce shortages and growing pressure to become productive faster. While advances in software, automation and digitalization continue to create new opportunities, many manufacturers still face challenges connecting those technologies into efficient production workflows.

Siemens believes the next step in machining innovation is creating a continuous digital thread that connects engineering, programming, virtual validation and execution to deliver next-level productivity starting from the first machine power-on. By improving the flow of data across the part manufacturing lifecycle, organizations can reduce complexity, accelerate ramp-up and create a foundation for continuous improvement.

“Manufacturing truth has always ultimately been at the machine,” said Mark Hindsbo, head of Operations Software at Siemens. “By bringing together engineering software, automation hardware and machine expertise, we enable our customers and users to be productive faster, accelerate return on investment and reduce ramp-up time by up to 50 percent.”

Built in collaboration with TRAK Machine Tools, the first phase of this initiative is focused on enabling part manufacturers to be productive from day one. It addresses one of the most common challenges manufacturers face when purchasing a new machine: the time required to move from machine delivery to productive machining. The solution combines software, automation and machine expertise into a connected workflow that allows manufacturers to program, simulate and validate production while a machine is still being built.

“When our customers invest in a new machine, their goal is to achieve productivity and business results as quickly as possible,” said Steve Pinto, president, TRAK Machine Tools. “Meet at the Machine creates a new model for collaboration focused on customer outcomes, and we are proud to be the first partner helping bring this vision to life.”

Traditionally, many programming, validation and training activities begin only after a machine is installed. The new initiative shifts these activities earlier in the process, allowing manufacturers to prepare for production before physical machine delivery and helping reduce ramp-up time.

Through the initiative, Siemens plans to work with machine builders to develop future solutions that address key manufacturing challenges through collaborative innovation.

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@siemensindustry @prototrak @Siemens @siemens_press #PAuto #MachineBuild #Manufacturing

New IT-style engineering tool launched.

Speeds automation application development reducing the time required to bring industrial projects to market.

The launch of SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements, an IT-like engineering application for the SIMATIC WinCC Unified system has been announced by Siemens. This application empowers automation engineers to build, perform version control, and deploy visualization engineering projects with the same workflows used by IT software developers. The application is available now exclusively in the United States, giving manufacturers an opportunity to bring modern software practices to the plant floor.

The manufacturing industry faces a widening gap between the pace of digital transformation and the availability of skilled automation talent. As product development and change cycles shrink while the need for efficiency grows, a new generation of IT-minded engineers expects modern software development tools that move beyond traditional engineering ecosystems. SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements addresses this gap with an open, code-based engineering environment for visualization that runs alongside traditional graphical, drag-and-drop editor-based workflows.

Key innovations for accelerated development include:

• Full project generation from human-readable YAML files – at the software’s core, the application empowers engineers to build complete automation projects, combining AI-generated code, configurations, scripts, and reusable library packages into a ready-to-deploy build.
• Seamless hybrid workflows – embedded hybrid workflows facilitate working simultaneously with both graphical development environments and direct code editing, responsive to each other in real time.
• Open architecture – users can run custom web controls in the same environment, with no external APIs required.
• Enhanced collaboration – native Git integration provides full project history, branching, and merge-request workflows for visualization project development to support coworking in real time among distributed teams. The extension-based IDE—built on the Open VSX marketplace—provides customization capabilities so engineers can tailor the development environment to their needs and receive new features as background updates, with no forced upgrades or added licensing cost.

“We're witnessing a fundamental shift in industrial automation, where the speed of innovation is no longer limited by engineering tools but enabled by them,” says Adrien Amar, Global Business Development Manager, Software Defined Automation and SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements at Siemens Digital Industries. “For decades, we've helped manufacturers automate their production lines; now we're automating the automation itself. With SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements, engineers can generate, validate, and deploy automation projects at software speed—using AI generation, CI/CD pipelines, and the version control that IT teams have relied on for years.”

"The US release of SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements marks an important step forward in modernizing industrial engineering workflows, bringing visualization and control engineering together in a unified development environment,” adds Cory Rinaldi, Portfolio Sales Enablement Manager, SCADA & Edge, North America, Siemens. “By combining visual and text-based engineering, native Git integration, and AI-ready workflows, we're helping customers accelerate development, improve collaboration, and adopt IT-driven engineering practices without compromising the reliability expected in industrial automation. Initially supporting WinCC Unified PC Runtime applications, WinCC Unified Elements provides customers with a modern engineering approach, while expanding the flexibility and choices available within the Siemens automation portfolio.”

SIMATIC AX WinCC Unified Elements extends the SIMATIC AX family—which previously focused solely on PLC programming—into visualization, providing engineers with a single, IT-aligned environment to develop both control logic and its interfaces.

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@siemensindustry @Siemens @siemens_press #PAuto #USA

Starter pack to enhance operational efficiency.

A new production optimisation solution designed specifically for U.S. small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), addressing urgent challenges in the manufacturing sector is being unveiled by Siemens..

The U.S. industrial sector is projected to face 1.9 million unfilled jobs by 2032, according to Deloitte and equipment failures to cause up to 20% production losses. SMBs are under signicant pressure from workforce shortages, costly downtime, rising operating costs, supply chain disruptions and the complexities of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies.

"Small- and medium-sized manufacturers are the backbone of our economy and they are dealing with a different set of challenges compared to enterprise-scale manufacturers,” said Chris Stevens, president, Siemens Digital Industries, U.S. “Among these are transparency to performance, workforce readiness, technology integration, cybersecurity, and productivity.”

For SMB manufacturers navigating today's complex production landscape, the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio offers a transformative solution. Its open digital business platform provides solution-as-a-service — and includes the innovative new SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack manufacturing software, which includes the Siemens Industrial Edge Management Cloud and Industrial Edge Virtual Device. These cybersecure tools empower end users to pay for what they need and scale at their own pace.

Siemens has made this digital transformation journey accessible through a three-month free trial, followed by an affordable annual subscription. This comprehensive package includes technical support, self-paced training, and the invaluable expertise of Siemens’ robust network of trusted partners across the U.S.

Siemens’ partners, including PROLIM, are instrumental in delivering the SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack to market, providing localized support, hands-on implementation assistance, and tailored guidance to ensure a truly seamless and supported digital transformation.

"PROLIM is thrilled to join forces with Siemens to deliver agile, digital solutions tailored for SMBs facing real production and workforce challenges. Combining the capabilities from Siemens Industrial Edge and PROLIM’s deep domain knowledge makes Industry 4.0 affordable, scalable, and results-driven, helping SMBs excel and remain competitive in today’s fast-changing market,” said Prabhu Patil, founder and CEO of PROLIM.

The SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack revolutionizes traditional production monitoring by providing real-time insights and flexible dashboards and reporting, empowering manufacturers to evolve from reactive problem-solving to proactive operational excellence. This integrated, modular solution is agile, flexible and scalable, and is designed for easy implementation without specialized IT skills or complex infrastructure changes. 

 "Our approach is fundamentally different," said Bettina Rotermund, head of strategy of Siemens Xcelerator." This package specifically addresses the unique needs of SMBs, who require simpler, more targeted solutions to master their digitalization journey. This isn't just about technology, it's about making digital transformation easy, delivering results quickly, and scaling operations.”

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@Siemens @SiemensUSA @siemenssoftware #PAuto #USA  

Wireless in buildings digitisation.

Interest group teams up with wireless experts and setting new benchmarks for buildings with large-scale digitisation.

Global leaders in smart building technology, Legrand, Schneider Electric and Siemens Smart Infrastructure have announced the formation of a strategic interest group to tackle critical challenges in providing ultra-resilient and interoperable wireless connectivity everywhere in buildings using the new NR+ technology standard. Supported by wireless industry experts such as last mile semiconductor, Nordic Semiconductor ASA, DSR Corporation and Wirepas, and embedded security expert Kudelski IoT, these companies aim to establish NR+, the new technology standard purpose-built for IoT, as the interoperable connectivity for digital buildings. 

This sets a new global standard for long range wireless infrastructure in smart buildings. Recognising the limitations of current siloed building management systems, the group will collaborate under the hosting of the DECT Forum.

“DECT Forum is proud to host the NR+ interest group, which represents a groundbreaking step toward addressing the connectivity challenges in buildings. NR+ is purpose-built for large-scale, dense sensor networks, capable of adapting to various systems while meeting high standards for scalability, cost and reliability. Bringing together global leaders in technology and wireless innovation confirms the potential of NR+ to set a new standard in buildings,” said Andreas Zipp, Chairman of the DECT Forum. This is the worldwide association of companies and organisations in the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) wireless industry. Dedicated to the advancement of DECT and related wireless standards, the DECT Forum promotes innovation, interoperability, and the development of future-proof wireless communication solutions.

Today, 75% of buildings are not energy efficient; they account for 30% of global energy consumption and are responsible for much of the inefficiency within the built environment. The NR+ interest group sees an urgent need for robust connectivity solutions like NR+ that enable cost-efficient, scalable, and reliable digital transformation. The demand for wireless devices in buildings is expected to grow to hundreds of millions annually in the coming years. By implementing NR+ as a global standard, the group seeks to facilitate a transformation toward more sustainable, more energy-efficient buildings capable of adapting to user needs in real-time.

The NR+ interest group will be working closely with silicon vendors, stack vendors, access point providers and smart building standards organizations as well as advocating regulatory adoption to bring the NR+ standard to the forefront of the smart building sector. By aligning technology development with the needs of smart buildings, this initiative will drive a new level of digital transformation for building owners, operators and system integrators.

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@DECT_Forum @Wirepas #Wireless #5G #BAS

Seamless data interoperability for machines.

Siemens and Eplan are to make engineering and production processes for customers in machine and line building more efficient.

This will be achieved by both companies significantly expanding data interoperability between their offerings. The automated interaction between Siemens’ Teamcenter X® software, TIA Portal, Eplan Electric P8 and Eplan Pro Panel makes engineering information available right on Eplan and vice-versa. Customers will benefit from a more efficient tool chain for machine and line engineering, making electrical engineering much faster and less prone to errors.

Accelerating the digital transformation with Siemens Xcelerator.

• Seamless data exchange between Siemens’ Teamcenter® X software, TIA-Selection Tool and the Eplan software
• Collaboration improves tool chain in machine engineering
• Machine builders can realize their projects in construction, operation and expansion faster and more efficiently

This collaboration expands Siemens’ and Eplan’s partner ecosystems. The Siemens Xcelerator open digital business platform creates a powerful ecosystem of partners that’s accelerating the digital and sustainable transformation of industry. Eplan customers are benefiting from the extended collaboration via the Eplan Partner Network.

"The partnership between Siemens and Eplan is a milestone in digital engineering. The optimized data exchange enables customers to realize their projects in construction, operation and expansion faster and more efficiently," said Cedrik Neike, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Digital Industries. “With this collaboration we’re strengthening our Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem and are creating more value for our customers than each of us could individually."

Eplan CEO Sebastian Seitz added: "With this collaboration, Eplan and Siemens are bringing together their extensive experience in machine engineering to provide our joint customers with an end-to-end engineering tool chain. This makes engineering processes much faster and less prone to errors."

Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Loh, owner and chairman of Friedhelm Loh Group and Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Digital Industries sealed the agreement at SPS

The collaboration between the two companies was agreed on by Cedrik Neike and Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Loh, owner and chairman of Friedhelm Loh Group, at the SPS trade show (Eplan is part of the Friedhelm Loh Group). The improved offerings will become successively available to customers beginning next year.

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@EPLAN_global @siemensindustry @mepaxIntPR #PAuto

Connectors for Clean Air.

The CONNEX pluggable connection system from PFISTERER has been successfully certified by Siemens Energy for use in 420 kV Clean Air switchgears. PFISTERER is the first manufacturer to be certified for this application and is thus making an important contribution to environmentally friendly energy transmission.

Clean Air is an environmentally friendly, non-polluting insulating medium as an alternative to the well-known insulating gas sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Clean Air consists solely of natural components of ambient air, such as oxygen and nitrogen. The use of Clean Air is intended to help minimise the environmental effects of electrical switchgears. PFISTERER’s Connex product family is the first pluggable connection technology for switchgear to be certified by Siemens Energy for 420 kV Clean Air applications. The socket forming the interface with the switchgear successfully passed the dielectric type test with Clean Air according to IEC 62271-203. The design of the socket was tested under increased pressure conditions, amongst other things.

“If electric power is generated in an environmentally friendly way, transmission and distribution must follow suit. Because our technology is used at the interfaces, it plays an important part in this. The successful testing confirms its reliability for Clean Air, which is an important step towards climate-friendly energy transmission”, said Alejandro Escobin, Head of Product Management HV Cable Accessories at PFISTERER. 

Key Account Manager, Norbert Fink added: “The pluggability of the CONNEX system allows it to be installed quickly and easily, with a minimal space requirement and maximum flexibility. We are delighted that this technology will in future be contributing even more to improving sustainability.”

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@Siemens_Energy @PresseBox #Pfisterer #PAuto

Protecting and licensing open architecture platforms.

Ensuring secure licensing in distributed and decentralized configurations gives users versatility and independence in managing their licenses.

Wibu-Systems has announced that ETM professional control, the developer of SIMATIC WinCC Open Architecture, has chosen to implement Wibu-Systems’ CodeMeter solution for protecting and licensing its software. WinCC OA is a flexible and scalable SCADA framework, designed for controlling large-scale applications in a variety of industrial and public and private infrastructural sectors. CodeMeter is Wibu-Systems’ flagship security suite of interoperable modules geared towards safeguarding software against piracy, reverse engineering, tampering, and cyberattacks.

“Using CodeMeter for license generation and protection of our SCADA product SIMATIC WinCC OA enables us to expand our global business together with our partners." said Dr. Bernhard Reichl, CEO of ETM professional control. "With CodeMeter, not only are we protected against unauthorized usage, but the technology of Wibu-Systems also secures the valuable know-how of our integration partners’ solutions.”

WinCC OA software is at the core of some of the most intricate SCADA systems, operated remotely and distributed globally. Its open architecture easily adapts to the adoption of new technologies. With the rapid advent of cloud systems and modern environments like Docker containers or cloud clusters, the need for open and flexible software that is robust enough to protect the integrity and security of WinCC OA, especially for distributed, decentralized connected components, is paramount.

In a global economy where business models and regulatory requirements are constantly evolving, the ability to adapt quickly is crucial. The combination of CodeMeter and WinCC OA software allows for the implementation of uniform protection and a fully aligned licensing system across all platforms, from ARM to x86 and from native systems like Windows and Linux to mobile and web interfaces. CodeMeter's agility in ensuring secure licenses in distributed and decentralized configurations offers added value, enabling users to easily handle license upgrades, add or remove features, and scale their WinCC OA projects up or down without having to interact with an ETM representative. 

“We recognize the value of flexibility, particularly for SCADA projects requiring a high degree of client-specific adaptability or imposed by specific system requirements and functions, like those found in energy, oil & gas, and building automation industries." says Stefan Bamberg, Director Sales and Key Account Management of Wibu-Systems. "CodeMeter's ability to ensure secure licenses in distributed and decentralized configurations offers a distinct advantage, giving users unprecedented versatility in managing their licenses.”

The synergy between ETM and Wibu-Systems serves as a guarantee for growth and adaptability over time, making the WinCC OA software solution resistant to technological changes and possible disruptions. This resilience, combined with the software's ability to handle both standard workflows and specific customer requests, significantly contributes to its continued success and customer satisfaction.

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@WibuSystems @siemensindustry #PAuto #Security

Distributing industrial automation.

Mouser Electronics has announced a distribution agreement with Siemens. Siemens' operations encompass factory automation and digitalisation in the process and manufacturing industries, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, rail transport solutions, as well as health technology and digital healthcare services. Mouser will be stocking parts from Siemens in a variety of product categories, including networking devices, human-machine interface (HMI) solutions, circuit protection and power supplies.

"Mouser is very pleased to add Siemens to our list of trusted supplier partners. They are a world-renowned leader of industrial automation solutions, and we're excited to offer their innovative products, technologies and services to our line card for customers," said Jeff Newell, Senior Vice President of Products for Mouser Electronics. "We look forward to a successful, long-term partnership."

"Adding Mouser Electronics as a channel partner positions Siemens to better support our customers and enhance our worldwide distribution network," said James Washburn, Vice President and Segment Head Circuit Protection and Controls at Siemens. "We'll be able to satisfy more of the requirements of our existing customers, and, leveraging Mouser's excellent design and supply-chain services and logistics support, we can drive new growth opportunities, expand our presence and get our products into the hands of engineers and buyers even faster."

Mouser now offers Siemens' industrial automation products, such as the SIRIUS 2 contactors, which provide high contact reliability, prolonged endurance and usability in extreme conditions. The SIRIUS 2 contactors feature a modular design and a high performance-to-size ratio, saving valuable control cabinet space.

Also available from Mouser, the Siemens SIRIUS ACT series offers a unique portfolio of elegantly designed push buttons, indicator lights and switches that perfectly embody style, intelligence, and physical toughness. Constructed with genuine metal and high-grade plastics and engineered with smart functions and communication capabilities, these push buttons, indicator lights and switches have been element-tested to ensure reliability for mission-critical operations.

"Logo" plc launch marked
in 1996 issue of Readout!

The LOGO! logic modules are programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that enable quick implementation of automation projects. Using the LOGO! modules, designers can quickly implement functions, such as timer switch, timer relay, counter, and auxiliary relay. Their compact, modular design saves cabinet space and allows for easy integration.

Siemens SITOP PSU100C power supplies feature a space-saving slim design and are suitable for distributed applications in control boxes or small control cabinets. The SITOP PSU100C power supplies are characterized by their low power loss over the entire load range. Power loss is extremely low even during no-load operation, making them ideal for machinery and equipment that is often in standby mode.

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@MouserElecEU @siemensindustry #PAuto #HMI

Optimized solution for switchgear manufacturers and electrical planners

Siemens Smart Infrastructure and Eplan have signed a strategic partnership to strengthen collaboration in the area of software solutions for the industry and infrastructure market segments. As part of this agreement, Siemens’ Electrical Products business unit will join the Eplan Partner Network as a strategic partner. The objective is to coordinate the products of both companies in a more targeted manner in order to offer optimized solutions for switchgear manufacturers and electrical planners.

Sebastian Seitz, CEO of Eplan, and Andreas Matthé, CEO of Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, signed the agreement on September 26, 2022.

“The overall goal of our collaboration is to create a plug-and-play structure for electrical planners. We want to open our tools bidirectionally for both sides and thus simplify and accelerate workflows,” said Andreas Matthé, CEO Siemens Electrical Products. 

Sebastian Seitz of Eplan has also emphasized the benefits for joint customers: “In switchgear construction, we can use Eplan Pro Panel to optimize processes and automate them to a greater extent. In addition, we will more specifically address the growing area of power distribution and work with Siemens to create end-to-end solutions for integrative, more efficient workflows.”

The industry segment comprises offerings and products for control panel building, while the infrastructure segment includes switchgear construction for power distribution. In the industry market segment, Siemens and Eplan will intensify the excellent cooperation that has existed for many years, for example, to provide Eplan data across all configured Siemens products. For the infrastructure market, Eplan and Siemens have decided to jointly optimize and automate customer processes, for instance in the Sivacon and Alpha environment (power distribution systems) by integrating Simaris (planning tools) and the Eplan platform.

Both parties will contribute their expertise to the benefit of their joint customers to enable more efficient workflows in switchgear construction and power distribution.

Eplan offers engineering software and services in the fields of electrical engineering, automation, and mechatronics. The company develops one of the world's leading software solutions for machine, switchgear, and control panel builders. In addition, it helps customers simplify challenging engineering processes.

Siemens’ Electrical Products offers products for a safe and efficient electrical infrastructure at the low-voltage level in buildings and industrial environments, including safety and control products, measuring and monitoring devices, switches, and sockets. Furthermore, the business unit’s portfolio includes communication-enabled software tools that can be used to connect power distribution products to building and industrial automation, as well as to open cloud-based IoT systems.

@EPLAN_global @SiemensInfra @mepaxIntPR #PAuto

European experience centre shares amazing ideas!

"Ultimately, we want people to come and play!"

Fluke has a new European Headquarters in Eindhoven (NL), which includes a 400sqm customer experience centre. For the first time, customers will not only be able to see Fluke’s range of world-class tools, but experience using them in a variety of real-world applications.

It has been described by Fluke Strategic support and training manager, Eric van Riet, as a dream come true. “What we wanted was for customers to experience our tools in an environment as close to reality as possible to show where and how our products are used, and provide the opportunity to deliver training.”

Customer experience centre dream
The individual environments in which each of Fluke’s tools are used have been reimagined in the heart of the building. From miniaturised electrical substations to small scale factories, a scene has been set for each.

“The best way to offer training is to do so in a hands-on environment such as this. If customers are unable to attend in person, we can make demonstration videos to show the best of our equipment. It’s working. Our customers love it,” said van Riet. The centre was developed out of a passion for customers to be empowered to make the best use of Fluke products and offers an exceptional training environment.

The aim of the centre is to create user experiences, a first impression for customers through a showcase of Fluke products, to offer an environment to use and demonstrate the products and to offer a first-class training facility.

“Ultimately, we want people to come and play,” said van Riet.

Fluke environments

Process

The environments include a small factory set up, an Industrial Island complete with a motor driven pump pushing water in a closed-loop system, a traditional data centre, as well as a window into networking of the future with communications cabling channelled through our ceiling tile infrastructure. There is a miniaturised high-voltage substation complete with intricate 3D printed scale models and a tesla coil to simulate partial discharge.

Next to a complete electrical and temperature Calibration lab environment, there is an electrical workshop including a solar cell with stationary battery completed by a window onto a driveway and electric vehicle charging unit set up.

Every Fluke tool has an environment to be demonstrated in

Cutting edge training 
The environments are useful not just for Fluke salespeople and their customers, but for training and forging strong relationships with the next generation of industry leaders. Student interns have the opportunity to learn their trade through helping program the automation of the factory test-rig in the customer experience centre. Recent graduates are now working closely with the group to develop new product innovations. “It has become a hub for sharing amazing ideas,” said van Riet.

The Headquarters
The Fluke headquarters bring together under one roof Fluke colleagues from seven separate sites across the Netherlands. The Brainport Industries Campus in Eindhoven - home to the new Fluke headquarters - is a unique campus with the best of high-tech manufacturing industries united under one single roof. The Fluke European Experience Centre is at the heart of the innovative Fluke offices. “Our European Experience Centre would not have been possible without the support of some truly brilliant partner agencies who helped make this dream a reality,” van Riet confessed.

“Companies like Hager who assisted the team with all distribution panels, Endress&Hauser who generously shared their demonstration model, Sulzer and Eriks for creating the Industrial pump setup and Siemens for the automation section.”

@FlukeCal @FlukeCorp @FlukePI @NapierPR #PAuto #TandM #Europe

Information exchange in edge-to-cloud applications.

Leading Internet-of-Things (IoT) vendors are adopting OPC UA technology for edge-to-cloud applications. The list now includes Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, IBM, Microsoft, SAP and SIEMENS.

Testimonials from IT/OT companies:

Melanie Ruhe, Head of Global Product Management Siemens MindSphere:
“Siemens Mindsphere is fully committed to OPC UA with its powerful data modelling capabilities and rich platform services to effortlessly connect shopfloor devices.”

Sven Goldstein, Product manager Connectivity, BECKHOFF:
”Beckhoff is the first automation vendor to support OPC UA Pub/Sub using both UDP and MQTT. The requirement to connect industrial assets in a secured and standardized format to the cloud is of utmost importance and an emerging topic in all industry sectors. With its PC-based control architecture, Beckhoff can easily adapt new communication technologies to enable machine builders to connect their assets directly to the cloud.”

Claudius Link, Senior Vice President Engineering Manufacturing and Industrial IoT at SAP SE:
“SAP welcomes the evolution of standards to solve issues in the customer’s reality – today, hybrid cloud and edge computing solutions are becoming the norm and the basis for many customers to accelerate their digital transformation. As a member of the OPC Foundation, SAP is committed to simplifying the integration of industrial and business operations, based on open communication patterns as defined by the OPC Foundation.”

Sanat Joshi, Managing Director, Manufacturing Industry Solutions, AWS:
“AWS understands the complexity of industrial data connectivity and the challenges manufacturers and industrial customers face implementing IIoT and Industry 4.0 applications. This is why AWS has a portfolio of services that extend cloud functionality into industrial operations to provide industrial edge capability. With AWS IoT Greengrass and SiteWise connecter, manufacturers can securely ingest OPC UA-based data onto AWS with open data access for real-time visualization, analytics, and machine learning to drive operational efficiencies, innovation, scalability, and agility.”

Charlie Sheridan, Global Technical Directory Manufacturing, Automotive & Energy - Google Cloud:
"Google Cloud is committed to openness and industry collaboration. By contributing to and leveraging the OPC UA Cloud Library, we can enable "cloud-based" access to OPC UA information models for our customers and partners. OPC UA will be our way of incorporating machine data into our data analytics and AI capabilities, to ultimately deliver on the promise of accessible data and easy-to-use AI across factories."

Ulas Cubuk, IBM App Connect for Manufacturing Product Manager, IBM:
"IBM has a long-running partnership with OPC Foundation. OPC Foundation’s dedication to ensuring interoperability in automation was the number one choice for this partnership. We had a long journey in helping our customers to build patterns to publicize OPC UA messages via MQTT. Now we want to step up this game by adapting the OPC UA PubSub specification."

Erich Barnstedt, Chief Architect Standards & Consortia, Azure IoT, Microsoft Corporation:
“Microsoft was the first vendor to support OPC UA PubSub over MQTT when we launched Microsoft OPC Publisher in 2016. Additionally, Microsoft has been working with the OPC Foundation on the OPC UA PubSub specification since the beginning.”

1. Key drivers behind this progression are, first and foremost, the global adoption of OPC UA as the open standard of choice for secure production-system interoperability across OT and IT networks, leveraging standardized data exchange. As such, there are over 850 registered OPC Foundation members supporting a large, rapidly growing eco-system of end-users, standards bodies, and vendors.

2. Second, OPC UA uses a standardized method of defining, discovering, and using Information Models (IMs) and services associated with the production systems. This standardized approach to semantic information sharing prevents vendor lock-in and costly custom programming needed for non-standard IM ingestion in the cloud. With the launch of the UA Cloud Library, OPC UA IMs are globally available to all cloud applications, making it easy for cloud applications to directly utilize OPC UA-based semantic information as well as live data coming from the edge.

3. Third, as a transport-agnostic, IEC standard, OPC UA is supporting two different communication patterns: Client/Server (over e.g. TCP or WebSockets) as well as Publish/Subscribe (over e.g. UDP or MQTT) to meet different industry requirements from the production systems to edge and cloud scenarios.

4. Fourth, the quality assurance program of the OPC Foundation extends to the OPC UA Publish/Subscribe communication patterns and forms the first multi-vendor, multi-cloud standard. Interoperability workshops, including leading PLC vendors, like Beckhoff and Siemens, sending OPC UA data from the controller, over MQTT, have already started. Fifth, end users benefit from and eagerly welcome the commitment from major IoT vendors that support OPC UA as a standard for IoT communications. Stefan Hoppe, President of the OPC Foundation says: “It’s thrilling to see that OPC UA is the one solution harmonized for process and factory automation, scaling from field to cloud (and back). The continued vision of the OPC Foundation – to establish OPC UA as THE open standard of choice for data interoperability throughout the world of automation – started and flourished with controllers and visualization systems and has now reached IT & the cloud. This will lead to a further growth of the open eco-system, based on OPC UA.”

The criteria for companies to be listed with these features is that they either support OPC UA over MQTT in their products today or that it is on their development roadmap.

@OPCFoundation @Azure @Siemens @beckhoff @SAP @awscloud @IBM #IoT #PAuto

Connecting PLCs to cloud!

Softing Industrial has launched an AWS Quick Start for its edgeConnector Siemens docker container application, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The Quick Start automatically deploys edgeConnector Siemens and AWS IoT SiteWise in the AWS cloud. It demonstrates how to connect Siemens PLCs to the AWS cloud in a secure and scalable way.

edgeConnector Siemens is Softing’s first commercially available gateway product to support container technology. By leveraging Softing’s expertise in automation technology and IT/OT integration, it offers best-in-class connectivity for Siemens PLCs typically used in brownfield projects. As a Docker container, it seamlessly integrates into the AWS solution architecture for Industrial IoT and can be operated and managed efficiently.
 

Customers are increasingly facing challenges in connecting the cloud to the edge in a secure way. “Many customers that we speak to, are hesitant when it comes to connecting their machines to cloud and using the Internet of Things” says Dr. Christopher Anhalt, VP Product Marketing at Softing. Industrial customers lack experience in edge computing and do not have access to reference artifacts and best-practices resources for edge computing and the Internet of Things.

The Softing edgeConnector Siemens Quick Start makes it easy for IT as well as for shop floor personnel to gain first-hand experience with a secure and highly scalable end-to-end solution for Industrial IoT. The Quick Start offers a fast and flexible way to try out edgeConnector Siemens as connectivity solution with AWS. It automates the deployment of Softing’s edgeConnector Siemens, a docker container application with gateway functionality, and AWS IoT SiteWise in the AWS cloud. A simulated Siemens S7-1500 PLC generates IoT sensor data that is sent to AWS via edgeConnector Siemens and visualized using AWS IoT SiteWise. This entire deployment on AWS takes not more than 10 minutes.

@SoftingIA @awscloud @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #PLC

Change in leadership at automation trade association.

Steve Leech is the new president of GAMBICA and will hold office for the next 2 years. He succeeds Huw Bevan as who served as President  through the difficult period for trade incurred through BREXIT and complicated by the unanticipated pandemic.

Steve Leech

"I extend a warm welcome to Steve and my sincere thanks to Huw for helping to steer GAMBICA through a turbulent period," said GAMBICA Chief Executive, Steve Brambley.

Steve is the Business Manager for the Siemens DCS product business within Great Britain and Ireland. He joined Siemens in 2001 starting within the internal sales function. In 2005 he was promoted to Key Account Management within the Regional Sales team. He has been involved in Vertical Market development within the Energy from Waste sector, helping to define the Siemens market strategy. He became Product Manager for the Process Control Systems product business at Industry Automation with Product Management responsibility for the Siemens DCS platform. He now leads the Siemens Process Control Systems product business in Great Britain and Ireland, working alongside end users and solution partners within the key process market sectors of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Energy from Waste and Oil & Gas.

He has been on the GAMBICA Management Board for some years representing Siemens on the Process Instrumentation and Control Council. The management board has been a great source of ideas and progress for the association down the years,

@gambica @Siemens #PAuto 

Connecting controllers with industrial IoT applications.

Softing Industrial releases version v1.20 of edgeConnector Siemens. The software module is based on container technology and connects Siemens controllers with industrial IoT applications. In addition to SIMATIC S7-1200 and S7-1500, the new version also supports SIMATIC S7-300/400 controllers.

“edgeConnector Siemens is the first strategic expansion of our dataFEED product family to include virtualization and container technology”, says Wolfgang Wende, Senior VP Sales at Softing Industrial. "It leverages Softing's extensive experience with brownfield connectivity and OPC UA technology and makes it available for new and highly efficient IoT solution architectures.”
 

edgeConnector Siemens enables access to SIMATIC S7-1200 and S7-1500 data including optimized data blocks. Version v1.20 additionally supports SIMATIC S7-300/400 controllers. Client applications have access to data via the interoperability standard OPC UA. The product can be configured locally via a built-in web interface, or remotely via a REST interface. It seamlessly integrates with Azure IoT Edge and AWS IoT Greengrass and is made available via online repositories such as Docker Hub.

Users benefit from flexible deployment and ease of use which comes with virtualization and container technology. Valuable process and machine data are made available for innovative IoT applications without any changes to controller or automation network configuration. Advanced security features such as the management of access right for individual client applications increase the security of the entire solution.

@SoftingIDI @siemensindustry #PAuto #IIoT #MEPax

Building managemnt appointment.

Howard Wilson is the new sales manager for Siemens Building Products in Ireland. He is responsible for promoting the Desigo Building Management System and associated peripheral devices. He also has responsibility for the Siemens Gamma KNX product range and the Cerberus PRO fire detection systems through the expanding Siemens partner network.

Howard Wilson

“Siemens Smart Infrastructure is shaping the market for intelligent, adaptive infrastructure for today and the future. Our Building Products portfolio provides customers with integrated building management software and platforms for automation, fire safety, security and other domains and we intend to grow our network of partners who can supply and deliver these solutions,” he said.

Howard has extensive experience in the BMS industry working for over 14 years for both manufacturers and systems houses. He graduated from the Technological University Dublin with a B.Eng. in Control and Automation Systems.

@Siemens #BAS #Ireland

Magnetic encoder system interface.

The BML absolute magnetic encoder in the SGA series stands out in any application where high absolute accuracy of position and end-of-travel is required. Comprehensive diagnostics functions ensure reliable operation and more efficient maintenance. With its Drive-Cliq interface the Balluff measuring system can also be perfectly integrated into Siemens controller environments. Siemens has certified the system accordingly.

Plug and play installation makes incorporating into the drive system easy. The controller automatically detects the sensor and its basic settings. The sensor also offers great flexibility, since leaving and reengaging with the tape is permissible. This opens up simple and economical solutions for demanding applications in the field of automation as well as machine tool building, especially specialty machines.

Drive-Cliq

Since the system works magnetically, it is also extremely insensitive to temperature change, dirt (such as from dust and oil), or wear. Thanks to its compact form factor the measuring system is also easy to integrate into existing applications, even in tight mounting conditions. The generous read distance of 1.3 mm makes installation easier.

In practical operation continuous plausibility checking ensures high reliability, since the system consistently check the measurement quality. Automatic condition monitoring checks the signal quality and, using the controller, is a convenient way to evaluate the function reserve.

Status LEDs and diagnostic functions ensure reliable operation and more efficient maintenance.

The linear measuring system is suitable for both long measuring lengths up to 48 meters as well as for applications which require high precision. With an accuracy of up to ± 12µm and a resolution of 1µm the measuring system meets these requirements. The system is also simple to retrofit.

#Pauto @Balluff @mepaxIntPR

Inventors recognised!

Siemens has honoured 23 particularly resourceful researchers as Inventors of the Year 2019. Together, these scientists are responsible for some 1,450 inventions and 1,500 individual patents. Most of the inventors are from Germany, the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, Spain, Italy and Romania.

Their inventions cover the whole spectrum of Siemens. They range from 3D animation for early detection of breast cancer to a new solution for electrifying old rail lines without the need for modifications to bridges and tunnels and continue all the way to a postcard-sized module for industrial controllers that uses artificial intelligence and is thus capable of revolutionizing automation in factories.

“Research, technology and innovation have held Siemens together for more than 170 years and will continue to be a key link between the three Siemens companies and strengthen the core of the brand,” said Roland Busch, Deputy CEO of Siemens AG. “Our inventors are doing concrete work to address the biggest challenges of our time. They’re laying the groundwork for progress and creating sustainable value for our customers and society, which is Siemens’ purpose.”

Every year since 1995, Siemens has been presenting the Inventor of the Year Award to outstanding researchers and developers within its organization whose inventions have made major contributions to the company’s strong performance. Since 2016, the award has also been presented to researchers from outside the company.

 #PAuto @siemens_press @siemensindustry

Industrial reporting!

Dream Report 5 R19.3 has been released by Ocean Data Systems (ODS).

Dream Report 5 continues Ocean Data System’s policy of releasing new features as part of a maintenance release for all Version 5 customers to use. Major features focus on enhancing connectivity to two leading vendors, Rockwell Automation and Siemens.

 In the previous release, Dream Report delivered FactoryTalk Historian Data connectivity. In this release, Dream Report delivers additional Rockwell Automation connectivity via FactoryTalk Live Data, FactoryTalk Alarm & Events, and the FactoryTalk View SE Alarm & Events Database.

 Siemens connectivity is enhanced with a new real-time driver for S7 200/300/400/1200/1500 PLCs. In addition to new data source connectivity, the Dream Report Portal has been enhanced to host external content in the form of URLs and Documents. Now Dream Report can become your One View into many automation systems, manuals and operational documents, delivering them with-in the Dream Report user-based security framework. New version numbering helps to explain the release – Dream Report version 5, third release in 2019.

“Dream Report isn’t just another product. It’s become the industry’s leading solution for industrial reports,” explained Roy Kok, VP Sales and Marketing for Ocean Data Systems. “Our customers rely on Dream Report for line of business information and our ability to deliver reports, dashboards and host external content, makes Dream Report even more valuable in every application. Dream Report continues to be a fast-paced product and we’ll continue to deliver new functionality in every release.”

#PAuto @OceanDataSys

Protecting against sophisticated cyber attacks.

The global economy is at a critical junction, compelled by the imperative to take advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). But an increasingly digitalized world has also increased the risk of mega attacks against critical infrastructure, which threaten to affect operations, create financial losses, and even put lives at risk.

As these physical and digital worlds converge, the reality of more frequent and sophisticated industrial cyber attacks makes evident that the operational technology (OT) cyber threat has become greater than the information technology (IT) threats.

Siemens and the International Society of Automation (ISA) have partnered to create this guide to provide oil and gas professionals at every level a starting point to prepare for potential OT cyber threats while still reaping the benefits of digitalization.

Contents include:

• The State of Cybersecurity in the Oil & Gas Industry: United States • Industrial Cybersecurity for Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses • What Executives Need to Know About Industrial Control Systems • Assessing the Cyber Readiness of the Middle East’s Oil and Gas Sector

@ISA_Interchange @Siemens @PonemonPrivacy

Drives water & HVAC etc.

The new SINAMICS G120X frequency converter from the proven SINAMICS family of drives, now available through Alpha Drives, is optimised for infrastructure and industrial water/wastewater applications as well as pumps and fans in building automation.

The new frequency converter comes as a complete product series – standardized and seamless when it comes to all supply voltages and supply types, and available in a power range extending from 0.75 kW to 630 kW. The devices are in compliance with global EMC standards and motor cable lengths of up to 150 m are permissible while maintaining EMC limit values. The integrated Safe Torque Off (STO) safety function is certified according to SIL3.

Thanks to its rugged design with optional protection against dripping water, SINAMICS G120X can be used in harsh conditions. The frequency converter can also be operated under environmental conditions according to the 3C3 standard.

Through its connection to the Cloud with SINAMICS CONNECT 300, SINAMICS G120X also readies your drive application for digitalization.

Water/wastewater: SINAMICS G120X provides a deragging function to sustainably remove deposits and dirt from pump impellers. The pipe filling mode allows pipes to be gently filled at the beginning of the control process before going into closed-loop controlled operation. The innovative cavitation detection function protects pumps and reduces maintenance costs. The keep running mode reduces the speed before a possible shutdown. Multipump operation (staging) allows several pumps to be controlled from just one frequency converter. Many additional functions, directly supported by the converter, makes SINAMICS G120X universally applicable in infrastructure projects

HVAC: The flying restart function reduces starting times after brief power failures. SINAMICS G120X also provides an automatic restart function after power failures. The essential service mode maintains fan operation for smoke extraction systems or emergency ventilation systems for as long as required in extreme situations. Multipump operation (staging) allows for the control of several pumps with just one frequency converter.

Skipping critical motor speeds is another HVAC-specific feature. This reduces vibration and, in turn, premature wear.

SINAMICS G120X also provides a real-time clock for autonomous, time-controlled operation as well as a timestamp for fault and alarm reports.

 #AlphaDrives #PAuto