PORTFOLIO

Industrial automation is becoming increasingly important for companies in Switzerland, especially in industries such as manufacturing. Processes are expected to operate autonomously around the clock. Efficiency gains are becoming a decisive competitive factor. However, implementing automation often presents significant challenges: high part variety, numerous interfaces, small and unpredictable batch sizes, and a lack of internal resources for implementation. This creates a clear opportunity for new approaches that make automation more configurable, less programming-intensive, and therefore more broadly accessible.

The objective of the project is to make industrial automation easier, more flexible, and more cost effective by offering a standardized software architecture for PLC-based automation, that reduces complexity, streamlines interfaces, and provides reusable, configurable modules to enable faster automation with minimal programming and integration effort.

The architecture is based on standardized structures for component integration, process implementation, and interface design, with a strong emphasis on flexibility and scalability. A key goal of the architecture is to standardize as many aspects of software development as possible, enabling a large portion of the automation software to be designed independently of the specific plant or system. This significantly reduces programming effort and shifts the focus from custom development to configuration.

This approach allows all phases of the automation lifecycle, from development and commissioning to operation, to be implemented more quickly and therefore more cost efficiently. In a subsequent step, a configuration tool will be built on top of this architecture, enabling companies to implement automation solutions independently. Components, capabilities, and interfaces no longer need to be programmed but can instead be configured easily. The unique features and advantages of the system can be defined as follows: No programming knowledge is required to create or modify a process, making the system highly accessible for end-users without technical expertise. Processes are implemented as parameter-based recipes, enabling users to adjust parameters and rapidly adapt the workflow to new products without reprogramming. This not only streamlines changeovers but also significantly reduces setup times. Even when system components are modified or expanded, the established process flow remains intact, ensuring seamless scalability and allowing users to respond quickly and efficiently to evolving production requirements.

Pre-Funding:
The architecture was developed as part of a master’s thesis and successfully tested in a laboratory setup. As a result, the project gained the interest of an industry partner. The next steps will focus on advancing the architecture to make it suitable for industrial deployment.

VALIDATE-Phase:
The successful implementation of the pilot project with an industry-partner demonstrated that the developed PLC-centered architecture is applicable in a real industrial environment and can be adapted to concrete system requirements. This practical validation provided essential feedback for further architectural refinement and confirmed the technical feasibility of the approach.
The market analysis conducted with nine companies enabled an early validation of the underlying problem-solution fit. The interviews revealed concrete implementation barriers, and economic constraints within industrial automation projects.
The project received positive overall feedback, including interest in the form of letters of intent as well as support from Swissmem.
In addition, the successfully completed BE-Advanced Challenge Program strengthened the project’s capabilities in business model development and market validation and provided access to a relevant network of industry experts and enablers.

EXECUTE-Phase (Outlook):
The next phase aims to advance the architecture to a basic market-ready level, including fully defined internal interfaces, a first component catalog, and support for common industrial communication-protocols. A demonstrator and an additional pilot project will further validate the solution in real industrial settings, supported by BFH student projects. In parallel, a prototype configuration tool will be developed to enable low-code automation. A joint case study with industry partners will define key economic metrics for the business model. The phase also prepares follow-up funding applications, including a potential BRIDGE proposal.