It is now difficult to say that one company's hardware products are more powerful than another's. IT technology is influencing the development of the automation industry because the differences between HMI display technology, CPUs used in PLCs and various controllers, system storage capacity, and switching frequency of power electronics are becoming smaller and smaller with the development of ARM, FPGA, and Intel embedded CPU and storage technologies.
Even for users in the machinery manufacturing or process industries, they have more choices today, and prices are constantly decreasing. They are increasingly focusing on automation manufacturers that can provide more added value because they can get more benefits from them.
The importance of automation software lies in the numerous benefits it brings, thereby increasing its value.
Software enables limitless possibilities on the same hardware foundation—limitless possibilities may sound abstract, but they are not detached from reality. This is precisely the enlightenment that IT software technology gives us. Modern PC technology has made computers so ubiquitous, but computer hardware today belongs to the manufacturing industry, no longer to the high-tech industry. Its widespread application is due to countless companies like Microsoft, Google, and Sun providing operating systems; Mathworks providing MATLAB/SIMULINK, Pro-e, AutoCAD, and Solidworks; Adobe providing Photoshop and InDesign; Tencent's QQ, media players, network connectivity software, and databases like Oracle and Sybase. Around CPUs provided by two major manufacturers, Intel and AMD, and various standard designs from numerous component manufacturers, the PC has achieved a vast market that the commercial world cannot replicate. And what is the core of PC expansion? Clearly, it's software.
This is also unparalleled at Apple, with over 100,000 available apps making only a few iPhone models sought after and beloved – all thanks to the boundless charm of software.
Similarly, in the field of automation, this trend is becoming even more important today. With PLCs of the same performance, the ability to enable users to realize greater value lies in how to maximize the efficiency of the platform's resources. Hardware remains unchanged, but software that better reflects human intelligence can change - at any time we can experience the verification that "software" is more powerful than hardware.
On another front, software can also encapsulate core competencies.
This is crucial for pioneering companies that hold a leading position in their fields. They must encapsulate their know-how, because mechanical designs are easily replicated and electrical system hardware can be easily configured. However, what constitutes competitiveness? Software is becoming increasingly important.
1. Software reflects the manufacturer's deep understanding and mastery of the process - in order to achieve better control, the process becomes more complex, and more process-related variables are considered. These independent R&D companies that have accumulated decades of experience in the industry have conducted in-depth research and exploration on process parameters, engineering experience, factors that cause changes in process quality and the patterns of occurrence. This rich experience needs to be represented in the form of software, making it more difficult for others to replicate.
2. Software enables machines to perform more functions and switch between processes. For example, when switching from one production line to another, the parameters in the process can be reset, calculated, and optimized. This allows for the rapid implementation of new production process planning without changing the hardware. This combination becomes more flexible and can be completed on demand. For end users, it is equivalent to using one system to achieve the capabilities of multiple systems – its cost-effectiveness is self-evident.
The competitiveness of software in the automation industry is reflected in the following aspects:
From programming tools to software design platforms
Software is playing an increasingly important role. No matter how large the project or how complex the system, a complex development process is required. How can this development process be made more efficient and generate more value? Unlike the traditional "programming tools," tools like B&R's Automation Studio better meet the design needs of a platform. It provides application developers with more than just a programming tool. It handles everything from early-stage project configuration, project management, program development, project debugging, system simulation, and maintenance and diagnostics in production. Moreover, it is system-wide rather than localized. It covers the design of various tasks required for complex control, such as HMI screen configuration design, motion control (including hydraulics, positioning, robotics, and CNC), communication network organization, PLC logic programs, and PID algorithms. Through object-oriented programming and excellent software interfaces, it connects with management-level systems such as SCADA, MES, and ERP systems.
The platform is not just a gimmick, but a genuine feature that aligns with the platform's characteristics:
First, it must be complete, involving the entire control system design rather than a part of it. Concepts that are only used for configuration or simply for servo parameter settings or PLC logic are not complete.
Secondly, it has good openness. This openness includes not only communication interfaces, but also connections to databases, connections to higher-level systems, open software interfaces such as PLCopen, IEC61131, OMAC/PackML, Unicode, etc., as well as object-oriented programming (OOP) and ActiveX control technologies, and the ability to connect with professional systems such as SCADA, GIS, and EMS through them.
The third aspect of openness refers to its ability to continuously improve and upgrade for the future – constantly keeping up with the development of IT technology, enabling AutomationStudio to keep up with advanced software technologies such as OOP programming, Web technology, FDT/DTM, and SIMULINK PLC.
Therefore, a platform is not a concept named for publicity purposes; it must have practical significance and the ability to provide added value.
What benefits does the software platform bring to customers?
Firstly, the platform provides a foundation for long-term development. On this platform, the development of new products by enterprises can be well managed, ensuring their inherent optimization capabilities. This is the significance of an integrated product foundation. Systems built by different vendors not only bring inconvenience in maintenance, but more importantly, they cannot provide customers with the best performance/price ratio design.
The second benefit lies in the modular design and reusability of software. Products developed on this platform have rapid portability, and software modules that meet the needs of different machine specifications can be produced as required. The knowledge represented by the verified program is fully utilized without additional development. The open software interface allows existing self-developed software to be quickly integrated, although this is not entirely feasible. However, there is no need to worry about this issue for code developed based on C.
The advantage of the third platform is that it brings internal consistency, making it easy to upgrade machines and add features.
Industry software integration capabilities
The future competition lies in industry solutions – this is already a consensus in the automation industry. However, the core of this competition is the ability to implement industry software – this is achieved by accumulating the processes, operations, and usage habits of industry customers. This is a value that cannot be easily obtained.
For machinery manufacturers, software is becoming the future.
