Alexander Kost works as a robotics engineer in the manufacturing engineering interface department of Phoenix Contact Electronics GmbH in Bad Pyrmont. The future has already been at this place for a long time: Alexander Kost has successfully accompanied the introduction of two cobots into the production processes of electronics and… Read More
Cloud-native vs. cloud-agnostic: What’s the mystery behind the hype? Speed seems to be the order of the day in digitization. Service providers and customers seem to compete with each other in this digital space. We see huge, successful solution providers switching from rigid monolithic structures to loosely coupled, service-oriented architectures. Read More
Craft Beer is trending. More and more small gastro and home breweries are being founded worldwide. Read More
When we start the conversation about which programming languages to use for industrial automation use cases, we usually begin by talking about IEC 61131-3 languages for PLCs, such as the classic Ladder Diagram (LD) or Structured Text (ST). For applications like robotics, we often see compiled, low-level programming languages like those found in the C family. Read More
The PLCnext Control combines features like a classical industrial programming language such as IEC 61131-3 and high-level language like C#, C++ or Python in a project between a chemical company, the Technical University of Dresden and Phoenix Contact. Read More
The key here was that the PLCnext Control could be seamlessly installed and was compatible with the existing technology. Read More
Weeds in the track bed are a problem for railroad tracks. Because of the strong root penetration, some plants grow very large, the track bed can become unstable, which would impair safety. For this reason, the weeds on the track must be regularly ... Read More
Today, the comprehensive protection of machines and systems against unauthorized access is an important requirement for automation systems. Is it enough here to extend devices with security functions? Or is security a function of the entire automation solution? The IEC 62443 standard specifies the security processes and functions required for… Read More
In current time it’s hard to find skilled staff for automation engineering. The challenges in automation are getting more and more complex. The way to meet these challenges is equally complex and different than in the past. Due to the complexity, automation engineers get an even wider range of tasks… Read More
Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are extremely common across a variety of industries, including manufacturing, oil/gas, and transportation. Essentially, they are just another type of computer. Though they differ from PCs in many ways, Machine Design provides a succinct definition that highlights their differences: “a programmable logic controller is… Read More
