25 www.drivesncontrols.com September 2025 INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION n asset for real-time data collection will reduce downtime by supporting proactive maintenance but, without interoperability, its potential is limited. Sharing that same sensor data via an open automation platform extends proactive maintenance capabilities by accessing data from all sources in the facility, both new and old. Manufacturers can use that single digital thread to make informed business decisions to enhance uptime, maintenance and energy consumption, without costly investments in new critical assets. Unlocking the flow of data throughout a manufacturing facility has driven the deployment of devices at the network edge. They deliver processing power near the assets to create a distributed architecture that offers increased resilience, availability and maintainability. By comparison, traditional large, centralised control architectures are less able to handle the complexity of modern manufacturing processes – especially as businesses look to scale and remain flexible. This has created a growing demand for physical I/O that must be ready for the datadriven future. Future-ready I/O supports universal automation by using open Ethernet protocols to deliver connections to a variety of devices and architectures for better performance and availability. Not only does this offer short-term advantages, it also fulfils a promise of universal automation by creating a unified framework for all automation. Architectures created today can evolve with future technologies, empowering manufacturers to freely explore any element of digital transformation. Any industrial activity that relies on data connections will always come with cybersecurity concerns. This isn’t reserved for critical infrastructure. Businesses of all sizes are being targeted increasingly, and as manufacturers become part of more complex supply chains, the attack surfaces increase. Cybersecurity standard Just as universal automation is allencompassing, so must cybersecurity be, with a strategy that integrates people, technology and operations. Just because the flow of data has been opened, it doesn’t mean there have to be data protection gaps, even with legacy assets that may have exploitable control systems. This has driven the need for systems that are certified to the IEC 62443 cybersecurity standard, safeguarding potential vulnerabilities in industrial systems, while providing clear guidance on the responsibilities at every level. Realising the potential of universal automation and digital transformation means that cybersecurity must be considered beyond processes and procedures to encompass every asset or product that is added to the network. By decentralising and adopting advanced capabilities, manufacturers will see secure data exchange that reduces risks and improves resilience, even as cyber-attacks become more complex. This is essential for manufacturers who want to see the benefits of universal automation with minimised risk, considering the needs of the future while unlocking immediate benefits. Unscheduled downtime represents a massive cost for manufacturers of all sizes. The Performance in Focus 2024 report reveals that the average hourly cost of downtime is currently £5,471.95. This drives the need for predictive maintenance and the open automation that enables it. To address this challenge, and to facilitate high-availability architectures where downtime cannot be tolerated, manufacturers can use a mixture of technologies including hot-standby processors, redundant switches, redundant I/O, redundant power supplies, modular hot-swapping, Change-Config-OnThe-Fly (CCOFT), Fast Device Replacement (FDR), built-in diagnostics, and ring network topologies. Open, universal automation represents the future of industrial architectures, supporting manufacturers as they seek to achieve more with less. The future-ready approach empowers facilities of all sizes and specialisms to innovate and optimise continuously, looking far beyond single technologies and realising the full potential of digital transformation. As UK manufacturing continues to digitalise its operations to compete on a global scale, universal automation is playing an increasingly important role. n *You can download the White Paper from https://www.se.com/uk/en/download/ document/998-21022781
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=