Siemens announces OT/IT integration suite

Siemens has announced it is expanding its Siemens Xcelerator open digital business platform with the launch of Industrial Operations X.

The company said that Industrial Operations X is an open and interoperable portfolio for automating and operating industrial production. The new portfolio is an open digital business platform comprising a portfolio of software and connected hardware, an ecosystem of partners and a marketplace.

Known as Industrial Operations X, the range will be a continuously growing interoperable suite of products and services for product engineering, execution and optimisation. Part of Siemens Xcelerator, the company said the offering brings more IT and software capabilities to automation and production operations, better supporting IT/OT convergence.

It focuses on integrating IT capabilities and proven methods from software operations in the world of automation. Low code, edge, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) are combined with automation technology and digital services.

A single Industry 4.0 factory generates an average of 2200 terabytes of data every month. Industrial Operations X solutions make this data actionable, for example, by leveraging AI analysis capabilities. Independent studies suggest that a digitally enabled factory delivers production increases of up to 30%.

Introducing a virtual PLC

One of the stand-out products announced as part of Industrial Operations X is a fully virtual PLC. Based on the functionality of the SIMATIC S7-1500, the virtual programmable logic controller is hardware-independent, allowing applications to be centrally managed and flexibly modified to meet changing needs. PLC projects can be scaled with virtual control and easily integrated into other IT offerings through open data interfaces.

Siemens said it is also making automation programmable with IT code through Simatic AX, providing IT professionals with a familiar development environment based on Visual Studio Code and version control via GIT and others. Simatic AX is cloud-based and is available as a service.

The company is also introducing visualisation capabilities for the industrial edge environment with WinCC Unified for Industrial Edge. Siemens said it will make administering software in machines easier, more flexible and more secure. A variety of apps is already available, focused on the acquisition, pre-processing and analysis of machine or plant data.

“With Industrial Operations X, we make OT adaptable at the speed of software,” said Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO Digital Industries. “And by deploying AI on the shop floor, we enable manufacturers to access the terabytes of automation data locked inside their factories so that they can ultimately become more sustainable.”