DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
WATCH NOW
The autonomous factory of the future by Siemens
helps me in my processes – all of a sudden we can deploy these libraries with a couple of mouse clicks over all the PLCs we have running.”
This approach addresses scalability constraints in traditional automation architectures. Manufacturing facilities typically contain hundreds of these individual controllers, each of which requires separate maintenance cycles and updates. Deploying virtual systems enables simultaneous deployment
across multiple controllers, reducing administrative overhead and ensuring configuration consistency.
The speed advantages extend to system provisioning. Physical controller deployment requires procurement, installation and configuration processes that can extend over weeks, but virtual controllers can be provisioned through software interfaces within minutes.
“ You give the team a call, they’ ll ramp up a new PLC, and they’ re quicker doing that than you are walking down to storage and getting a new PLC,” Henning describes.
Safety certification addresses production deployment barriers In spite of these benefits, safety certification has historically represented one of the primary technical barriers to virtual controller adoption.
technologymagazine. com 71