AutomationML

Seamless engineering workflow in industrial automation

Overview

Production systems are changed continuously and thus have to be adaptive. Changes/Re-engineering in the production plant lead to reconfiguration of hardware and software components. This affects all planning phases, disciplines and corresponding tools and systems.
The aim of AutomationML is an efficient exchange of engineering information
(CAD, electrical planning, mechanical planning, simulation, PLC programming, HMI) which leads to a time and cost reduction.

The key for this collaboration is that data can be exported and imported by tools correctly and without any loss in an efficient way. To achieve interoperability and a seamless semantic integration, this must be completed by an efficient im- and export of the data. OPC UA as one existing and already present communication standard in the automation level (e.g. existing interfaces to PLC, CNC, and software tools).

Technical Content

THE COMBINATION OF AUTOMATIONML WITH OPC UA OFFERS THE FOLLOWING
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

AutomationML integration in OPC UA: Communicate and operationalize
AutomationML by means of OPC UA:
The OPC UA server includes a functional view on the production. It comprises an
information model that allows users to organize data and their semantics in a structured
manner. It is possible to simplify the creation of OPC UA information models
based on existing AutomationML data. AutomationML models can be exchanged
via OPC UA.The companion specification for AutomationML consists of an object
model including many specific semantics which can be used online with multiple involved
parties/disciplines/tools by OPC UA. It includes OPC UA data management,
online communication functionality, multi-user support, access methods, security,
etc. This is especially important for re-engineering and maintenance use cases
where the AutomationML model evolves over time.

OPC UA integration in AutomationML: Lossless exchange of OPC UA
system configuration within AutomationML models:
Parameters to set up OPC UA communication between tools can be exchanged
using AutomationML. This simplifies the configuration of OPC UA client connections
to an OPC UA server. The manual exchange of OPC UA server configuration
data will be replaced by standardized/specified description in AutomationML.

This realizes consistent data, produces less errors and results in an easier and
faster configuration of UA servers and clients. OPC UA can benefit from the description
of complete communication network configuration and structure including
communication components of sensors and actuators with respect to communication
system parameters, network structure and wiring, quality of service, etc.

One central point of this collaboration is the integration with other existing (companion)
specifications, e.g. OPC UA for devices, OPC UA for IEC62264 (ISA95), OPC UA for
FDI, OPC UA for IEC61131-3 (PLCOpen).

 

Companies behind

  • Ascolab
  • Beckhoff
  • CENIT
  • Festo
  • Fraunhofer IOSB
  • Helmut-Schmidt Universität
  • Otto-von-Guericke-Universität
  • ISW – Universität Stuttgart
  • Siemens
  • Unified Automation
  • Phoenix Contact

About AutomationML

More information, specification, videos

 

Contact:
AutomationML e. V. c/o IAF
Universitätsplatz 2
39106 Magdeburg, Germany
office(at)automationml.org
www.automationml.org