The companies' common goal is to offer an open and future-proof ecosystem for industrial automation. In this context, Phoenix Contact has licensed the 'PLCnext' runtime environment to Yaskawa and agrees to future joint developments.

Yaskawa, a manufacturer of drive and control technology, robotics and frequency inverters, sees 'PLCnext Technology' as the most open of the automation platforms available today, combining IEC 61131-3 programming, modern programming languages, safety hardware and software, and the safety of industrial control systems. The company will use 'PLCnext Technology' to further expand and develop its range of machine control systems.

PLCnext Technology is an open ecosystem for industrial automation from Phoenix Contact. With its combination of open control technology, modular engineering software and online community, this solution enables easy adaptation to changing requirements and the efficient use of existing and new software applications.

Ulrich Leidecker, President Business Area Industrial Management and Automation (IMA) at Phoenix Contact, explains: "The technology partnership with Yaskawa is a milestone for the automation industry, because the more partners there are in an open automation ecosystem, the more valuable and powerful it becomes for each individual participant."

"Bringing PLCnext Technology together with Yaskawa's proven motion control engine and robust controller hardware creates a control platform that is open, flexible and powerful, based on the proven PLCopen toolbox solutions for logic control, machine control and control of delta and articulated arm robots," said John Payne, Senior Vice President Motion at Yaskawa America. "The new Yaskawa platform will combine controllers for logic, machine control and robotics with solutions for Industry 4.0 applications. It will also expand Yaskawa's control technology offering with solutions for network security and control system safety."