The adoption of IEC-62443 is set to play a crucial role in enabling digital manufacturing and will have a significant impact on the realization of Industrial IoT, leading to improvements in quality, output, and reduced downtimes.

Industrial Edge and cloud computing technologies provide scalable, flexible computing resources for storing, analyzing, and visualizing the vast amounts of data industrial systems generate, and increasingly deal with cybersecurity threats. Industry experts provide their perspective on what lies ahead for industrial applications.

The transition is not happening overnight but industry leaders from Avnu Alliance continue to emphasize the possibilities with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) converged networking technology.

Software and IT innovation are the primary drivers for manufacturing investment. Solution architectures are expected to consolidate around specific standards, with architectural blueprints and best practices addressing end-user needs. Edge computing will also show accelerated deployment within manufacturing.

Benefits at multiple levels can be obtained by centralizing the collection of accurate data directly from production systems, its transmission, and subsequent processing. Digitalization helps to integrate enterprise-wide operations, optimize the manufacturing process, and facilitate the work of operators, maintenance staff, planners, programmers, quality assurance officers, and management.

IEC 62443-4-2 host devices are independently evaluated and provide a secure-by-design open platform for industrial automation systems. Installing IIoT software and applications on these host devices creates an IIoT edge computing gateway that meets the industry’s gold standard for cybersecurity.

Edge software platforms can be a critical enabler of data-driven automation solutions. They abstract Operations Technology (OT) systems and provide the required interoperability across edge and IT/cloud processes within a smart factory.

IEB presents an interview with Hans Beckhoff, Johannes Beckhoff and Martin Rostan of Beckhoff looking back on 20 years of EtherCAT.

Beckhoff hybrid connectors and One Cable Automation has been proven in thousands of field installations. Florian Vogel from I/O Product Management discusses the technical advantages associated with these connectors and the significance of their definition within an IEC standard for decentralized automation.

Thomas Rodenbusch-Mohr, Product Cluster Manager at Hirschmann Automation and Control GmbH, a subsidiary of the Belden Group and member company of the CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA), explains the advantages of TSN and why Hirschmann is offering TSN-enabled products.