Virtualization shapes factory automation

The virtualization of control systems is becoming increasingly important in the industry. Many companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector are looking for alternatives to public cloud offerings, as security and compliance requirements as well as international regulations such as the US Cloud Act, which allows authorities to access data from US hosts even outside the USA, require greater data control. Solutions that can be operated locally or in private clouds are therefore coming into focus.

The company Logiccloud focuses on 'software-defined automation', where the focus is no longer on classic PLC hardware, but on software-based control logic. This approach enables greater independence from hardware, lower acquisition and maintenance costs and more flexible scaling. Applications can be centrally managed, expanded and updated without having to replace physical components.

With the on-premises version, Logiccloud offers the option of operating automation applications entirely within your own IT infrastructure. This allows them to be used without an internet connection, which is an advantage in security-critical production environments. At the same time, the integration of existing systems such as ERP software, databases or tools such as Node-RED is made easier. Alternatively, the platform can be hosted in a private cloud from European providers, which combines scalability with GDPR-compliant data storage.

The company also provides a browser-based engineering platform. It enables the development of automation applications directly in the browser, including tests and simulations without hardware as well as project and user management. The company presented the new version of its platform at SPS 2025. A key highlight is an AI assistant that significantly simplifies the development of automation apps. Users can enter their technical requirements using a form; the AI then automatically generates a complete application including IEC 61131 logic, HTML visualizations and interface configurations. The AI also answers questions, creates documentation, optimizes code and provides snippets to speed up development work.

With version 1.5, Logiccloud introduces further improvements: an enhanced HMI with reusable templates, REST API integration for connecting external systems, live debugging with real-time values in the code and integration of the OSCAT library. An optimized compiler reduces file sizes and resource consumption, while Kafka support and simplified MQTT configuration facilitate networking. The platform can also be adapted to a company's corporate design using branding and theming functions. The engineering platform remains fully browser-based and supports IEC 61131 programming, HTML5 visualization, hardware-free simulations, project and user management. Thanks to its openness to common industry protocols and IT interfaces, complex networked applications can be created efficiently.