+++ News +++ Industry 4.0 Non-profit organization for common runtime base

This is intended to create an easily accessible, technical basis for the establishment of a manufacturer -independent and software -centered automation.In addition to industrial companies, manufacturers and OEMs, the founding members also include universities and start-ups.The aim is to promote an automation approach oriented towards IT logic, in which interoperability and portability belong to the standard.

Less proprietary systems, more industry 4.0

In most industrial branches, no way leads to Industry 4.0 over.The advantages that arise in terms of efficiency, flexibility, productivity and sustainability for end users and mechanical engineers are too great.Nevertheless, the full development of these potentials remains inhibited in many places."Industry 4.0 can actually afford a lot more, ”says John Conway, CEO of the new universal automation.Org, safe.

"But island solutions or proprietary systems often make it more difficult to merging data in heterogeneous machine landscapes and an even narrower integration of OT and IT.Really flexible, sustainable systems with short conversion times, innovative designs and high failure safety can hardly be realized on this basis."

All the more, since the interoperability between the controls of different providers is usually not given as much as a manufacturer's cross -manufacturer portability of control -related software applications.

“For this reason, the universal automation offers.Org einen Automatisierungsansatz, der Hardware und Software entkoppelt", erklärt John Conway.“By using a common runtime environment that our members implement into their mechatronic components, it is completely irrelevant for the engineering of automated systems, which hardware is used by which manufacturer in a machine.This gives us a previously unknown level of engineering freedom." Die Runtime steht den Mitgliedern als geteilte Ressource zur Verfügung.

Automation under new signs

By providing a tried and tested, always updated and further developed runtime, the universal automation provides.Org the crucial contribution for an automation based on IEC 61499.In this way, a technical basis is available that would otherwise have to be developed and implemented elaborately.

In contrast to other organizations that work for more openness and interoperability, there is a unique selling point of the new universal automation.Org: “We are not concerned with the definition or elaboration of a standard or a new standard.We manage and develop a concrete technical solution cooperatively, which serves as the basis for a new automation approach. Die darauf aufsetzenden Applikationen bleiben individuell und werden nicht durch die Runtime diktiert", betont Gregory Boucaud, Chief Marketing Officer bei UniversalAutomation.Org.

This new approach is associated with a rethink in terms of automation.Due to the manufacturer's independence, the entire machine is also virtually available from the start - even before a single piece of hardware has been installed.Within corresponding engineering tools, applications according to IEC 61499 can be modeled on a purely software side, using ready-made function blocks.

In this way, the engineering of even complex application systems is considerably simplified and less prone to errors.In addition, the functional blocks according to IEC 61499 not only have inputs and outputs for data, but also for events.The conventional, cyclical execution model can be replaced by a freer, event -based model.In the event of changes to the hardware, the software -based application remains completely untouched and can be installed immediately after the conversion to the new hardware components.

A new category for automation

The added value of a manufacturer -independent automation approach are not limited to engineering.Due to the decoupling of hardware and software as well as the object-based programming, completely new business models are created.Start-ups or software developers for specific regulatory solutions are now much easier to launch their products.

Above all because your software applications such as from an app store can be downloaded and used by plug-and-product for the respective system.Endusers and machine manufacturers can then select from a wide range of already tested and highly specialized software components and choose the most suitable.For the automation industry, a completely new category of software -centered automation components is created.

The market researchers of the ARC Advisory Group prove how worthwhile the establishment of interoperable automation solutions is.Savings of around $ 30 billion annually are realistic in industry based on a standard -independent standard.This roughly corresponds to the sum that must currently be applied solely for maintenance and maintenance of already installed proprietary systems.