Open Ecosystem for Industrial Automation

Meet us at SPS Italia in Parma in Hall 3, Booth F34 May 28-30, 2024 to get an impression of our innovative solution concept of an open ecosystem for industrial automation.

In an evolving industrial landscape, a collaborative effort among SEW-EURODRIVE, Software Defined Automation, VMware, FLECS Technologies GmbH, and Clevertech S.P.A. is leading a shift towards software-defined manufacturing. This approach aims to address several challenges faced by the industry, including the need for more scalable and secure automation solutions.

At the forefront of this concept is SEW-EURODRIVE’s DriveOperations, based on the technology of Software Defined Automation (SDA). This comprehensive suite of tools is designed to improve the efficiency and security of industrial systems, offering features such as PLC backup, version control as well as AI-driven analysis and PLC code interpretation. DriveOperations serves as a versatile platform, enabling companies to enhance their operational capabilities, reduce costs, and manage complex tasks more effectively.

Clevertech as a leading provider of packaging solutions that provide the practical application for these technologies, ensuring they meet the real-world needs of the intralogistics industry. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the developed solutions in actual industrial settings.

VMware contributes with its Edge Computing Stack software platform facilitating real-time edge computing and advanced edge security. These technologies allow for the rapid and zero touch deployment of software applications on a wide range of certified hardware, breaking the dependence on proprietary systems and enhancing operational flexibility whilst enabling Digital Transformation and Experience at the Edge.

FLECS introduces an industrial marketplace that simplifies the management of OT applications, enabling easy installation, configuration, and maintenance. This marketplace approach allows SEW to establish their own digital business model with their own extensions and puts the SEW brand at the forefront. For OT engineers it is much easier to manage edge applications and fosters an open ecosystem for industrial automation.

Software Defined Automation provides the technical foundation for SEW’s DriveOperations, offering essential features, such as connectivity, backup, version management, and browser-based engineering. This allows for seamless integration of DriveOperations across various PLC technology stacks, ensuring data consistency and easy access to tools and resources. The browser-based engineering approach eliminates the need for installing software on workstations, simplifying the engineering process and making it more accessible.

“The integrated SEW concept, DriveOperations, could enable us to provide our customers packaging solutions in a completely scalable way, independent of proprietary PLC controllers,” says David Tabacco, Head of Automation at Clevertech S.P.A. “The modular software stack of real-time and non-real time machine applications further could allow to improve machine efficiency at the customer through the whole lifetime.”

Through this collaboration, the partners aim to solve significant industrial automation challenges, such as scalability issues, dependency on proprietary hardware, and the shortage of skilled workers. By leveraging the strengths of each company, they offer a comprehensive solution that promises to make industrial automation more efficient, secure, and scalable.