The Future of Smart Manufacturing: Embracing Universal Automation and Open Standards
Open automation represents a transformative leap for smart factories, offering enhanced flexibility and interoperability. By leveraging the IEC 61499 standard, open automation decouples hardware from software, addressing the limitations of proprietary systems and reducing vendor lock-in.
Manufacturers and engineers are beginning to recognize the need for standardization in automation processes, particularly in the Distributed Control Systems (DCS) sector. Standardizing these processes can eliminate proprietary constraints, fostering innovation and advancing technological progress.
IEC 61499, an evolution of the IEC 61131 standard, provides a modular and reusable approach to control system design. It simplifies software component packaging and supports dynamic reconfiguration, laying the groundwork for Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Universal Automation and organizations like UniversalAutomation.org are pivotal in this shift, promoting IEC 61499-based solutions and creating a plug-and-play ecosystem. This allows end-users to select the best-fit products for their applications without being tied to a single vendor.
