Jan Mrosik, CEO of the Siemens Digital Factory Division, is certain that companies will not be able to survive in the future without digitalization. That's why the company is demonstrating how digital factories - regardless of industry - can work under the motto 'Digital Enterprise - Implement now' at the Hannover Messe using a number of examples. At the 3,500^m2 stand, consumers and users will be able to experience how individual digitalization solutions can increase competitiveness.

News about the Mindsphere

In the Mindsphere Lounge, Siemens is exhibiting Mindsphere version 3.0, which is now also available on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The third version of the IoT platform offers a development environment with an open programming interface (API/Application Programming Interface) as well as additional analysis functions and enhanced connectivity. The global user organization 'Mindsphere World', which was founded and presented by 18 companies in January, will also be making a presentation. The association aims to develop a global ecosystem around Mindsphere.

In line with Mindsphere 3.0, Siemens will be showcasing a number of new apps for automation with Simatic systems. The Simatic MindApps Machine Monitor, Notifier and Performance Monitor are special applications for Mindsphere that enable users to utilize cloud-based services. The apps read relevant data from production machines or systems for analysis, process it into meaningful information, display it in dashboards or use it for intelligent alerting and message display. The 'Defense in Depth' concept in accordance with IEC 62443 protects against current and future cyber threats.

The new digital platform 'Sidrive IQ' can also be used to evaluate drive data with the Mindsphere. The platform makes data on installed drive systems transparent, which facilitates fleet management and optimizes service activities. The continuous data analysis should also save time and increase system availability, as sources of error can be identified at an early stage and rectified in good time.

According to Jürgen Brandes, CEO of the Process Industry and Drives Division, now is the time to optimize the value chain for the process industries, whether for new systems or for existing systems that have been in place for many years.

Digitalization for the process industry

As a first step, companies can make consistent use of existing static and dynamic data in order to achieve transparency across the entire life cycle. This is also the starting point for Siemens' new 'Digitalization Consulting' concept, in which digital possibilities are explored together with customers and a digitalization roadmap including an investment calculation is drawn up.
The digital twin of the process engineering production plant plays an important role here. It is created during the engineering phase and is updated and enriched with additional data throughout the plant life cycle. The continuous analysis of process data and additional smart sensor data from the field level of a production plant leads to transparent production; maintenance and servicing can be improved. The digital twin is also advantageous for commissioning: the 'Simit' simulation software in version 9.1 enables the combination of virtual commissioning and operator training for systems. This can speed up the commissioning of systems by up to 60%.

In addition to the main stand in Hall 9, Stand D35, Siemens will be presenting hardware and software in Hall 6, Stand J30, and the focus will be on energy management in Hall 27, Stand H74.

TSN at all levels

The TSN route from Siemens

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As Dr. Jürgen Brandes, CEO of the Process Industries Division, emphasizes, Siemens will be using TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) at all levels in the future, including the field level. Accordingly, TSN will also be a topic at the trade fair stand. The Profinet network infrastructures used by Siemens will gradually integrate the TSN base technology in the future. Only time will tell what role OPC UA will play across all levels. At the press conference, Dr. Jan Mrosik made it clear: "TSN down to the field level - yes! But OPC UA only up to the control level." As a first step, Siemens is using a robotics measurement model in Hanover to show how OPC UA PubSub (Publisher/Subscriber) based on TSN is used at controller level.

The route that the PNO and others will take with regard to TSN and OPC UA will be an exciting topic at the TSN/A Conference on September 26/27 in Stuttgart. Further information can be found on the Internet.