Softing has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft® Azure to offer industrial edge connectivity solutions that you can deploy from the AWS or Azure cloud. We show you how to quickly and securely connect machines, PLCs and devices to cloud-based Industrial IoT solutions in a typical brownfield project using our connectivity modules for the Industrial Edge.
As the digital transformation takes hold of the process industry, many companies are facing the challenge of reconciling innovation and continuity. In response to this, NAMUR (the User Association of Automation Technology in Process Industries) has developed the NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) model, which brings plant optimization through IT/OT integration within reach for the process industry. In this blog, we present a range of NOA-compliant products that process plant operators can use to extend their plant in compliance with NOA to directly reap the benefits of modern IT applications.
What does Industrial Edge mean? What role does it play within an IIoT architecture? And how do cloud services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and open source container tools like Kubernetes complement this architecture and help companies improve their processes? Our blog answers these questions and shows three projects in different stages of realization.
Owing to the explosion of the Internet of Things, the number of OT/IT applications increases, and so too does network complexity. Having an abstraction interface can go a long way toward reducing this complexity. Our Secure Integration Server (SIS) is one such example that provides a layer that simplifies management between the OT and IT domains based on the OPC UA standard.
For companies with global production sites, centralized secure data integration is the key factor for competitiveness, progress and safeguarding their existence. After all, the operating data from thousands of programmable logic controllers must be integrated, aggregated and securely processed - especially in view of future Industrial IoT applications. Softing offers professional and reliable solutions, as a case study from a customer shows.
tManager makes it easy to connect the worlds of OT and IT in your factory. This PLC in-chassis transaction manager moves plant floor data between enterprise systems and PLCs. It also lets you connect PLCs to your favorite Cloud application, analytics app or dashboard — all in 10 minutes.
Container applications open up new possibilities for use in automation technology with many advantages. edgeConnector products from Softing’s dataFEED family offer state-of-the-art access to process data in SIMATIC S7, SINUMERIK 840D and Modbus TCP controllers. They are using a Docker container technology, enabling customers to choose between a conventional hardware gateway, middleware or a Docker container application when implementing their Industry 4.0 and IIoT applications.
While plants in discrete and process manufacturing often comprise both legacy and new equipment, they still need to be controlled and managed effectively. This requires a modern communication architecture that is able to aggregate their heterogeneous data. smartLink from Softing facilitates interface-neutral data integration in complex production systems.
When it comes to expanding and operating innovative IoT solutions, IT architectures have a key role to play. What architectural issues arise at the interface between IT and OT, and how does this interface relate to 'edge' and 'cloud'? If you take these questions into account during planning you can fully exploit the potential of software, IT and innovative algorithms and make your production more efficient.
Data integration and IoT or Industrie 4.0 have been fueling the market for many years and are finally on the verge of a breakthrough and success, because it is now possible to integrate and successfully use the incredible range of technologies and the vast amount of sensors, data formats and conceivable usage scenarios. The same can be said for the volume of data currently produced. In the "Internet of Things" or Industrie 4.0, a seamless data exchange between Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) is crucial for competitiveness and success. However, this is not the only decisive factor. Production processes, both in manufacturing and in the process industry, require continuous improvement in efficiency and performance - this can only be achieved in the future through innovative, reliable data integration.
