Standardization in Automation

Although machines and systems from different manufacturers have individual safety solutions, they have no integrated solution at plant level. That means you have to change the machine safety concept and integrate it into the safety concept of the production line. A standardized safety concept for the production line defines shutdown zones based on a risk assessment, shortens commissioning times, and improves employee safety. And the shutdown zones cut power only in areas in the danger zone, which improves plant performance.

Without standardization, the search for the causes of a machine's failures or errors can take a long time. Specialists are often required for this. With a standardized diagnostic concept, you can display the condition of every machine on your screen and evaluate them quickly. That means you can quickly respond and reduce your downtimes.

HMI devices with different operating concepts increase complexity and the need for suitably qualified employees. The employees on every production line must be retrained. Standardized operating concepts reduce this complexity, so workers can be deployed flexibly on the shop floor. Our HMI Template suite is a free TIA Portal library for creating intuitive HMI designs within minutes.

Without standardization, the integration of new machines into existing lines or the replacement of a machine results in costly adaptations. A consistent standardization approach for horizontal and vertical integration enables plug-and-produce based on standardized interfaces such as PROFINET, OPC UA or Companion Specifications. This allows you to produce earlier and save costs. A modular machine concept reduces complexity, error rate, and integration time.

Machines are becoming more and more complex, and at the same time they have to be developed and produced in ever shorter periods of time. Without standardization, each machine must be designed from scratch. Modularizing the machine reduces complexity and minimizes development time. The machine is broken down into technologically stand-alone modules that can be developed independently and extensively tested. The ready-made modules have a standardized interface and behavior and can be created using a library concept. This means that these modules can be used independently in different machines.