Multinational technology firm Siemens has unveiled a new solution to centralise and improve factory control management: the Siemens Simatic Automation Workstation. The first commercial uses of the technology will be across a number of Ford Motor Company’s manufacturing facilities.
In a company statement, the tech giant said the workstation promises to address the longstanding challenge of efficiently managing numerous hardware control points throughout manufacturing facilities.
Siemens added that the system offers “software-defined automation [and] unprecedented control over factory automation and security”.
The solution consolidates the functions of a hardware Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), a conventional Human Machine Interface and an edge device into a single, software-based platform. By doing so, the system streamlines operations, bringing Internet Technology (IT) workflows to Operational Technology (OT) environments.
Traditionally, managing PLCs scattered across factory floors has been labour-intensive and time-consuming, as each PLC requires individual programming and updates to ensure synchronisation with other units and alignment with evolving operational needs.
To counter this problem, the Simatic Automation Workstation was built to allow for centralised management, enabling simultaneous deployment of programming, updates and patches across the entire fleet, according to Siemens.
This functionality can help facilities adapt during periods of fluctuating demand, as manufacturers can alter operational protocols without the barrier of programming individual hardware units.
“In times of volatility in demand and supply, manufacturers can no longer be tied to boxes on the floor that need to be individually – and manually – updated,” said Del Costy, president and managing director of Siemens Digital Industries, USA.
“Centralised management is the best option for increasing visibility and security for manufacturers managing a high number of automation control points.
“This makes automation highly scalable and changes the game for how factories can be managed. We have arrived at a moment where we are only limited by our imaginations.”
