“Interest in our automation approach has yet again increased massively over the past 12 months,” reported Greg Boucaud, chief marketing officer at UAO (Figure 1). “Many experts now have a better idea of what exactly we are doing and how we are positioning ourselves.” In contrast, but not in competition with approaches such as MTP, NOA, OPC UA or O-PAS, the UAO Runtime Execution Engine is designed to enable the elimination of proprietary automation structures. If the runtime is implemented in a programmable logic controller (PLC), for example, it does not require a development environment from the same manufacturer or generation to program it. As a result, the lifecycles of hardware and software are decoupled and the reuse of program code is simplified. This offers considerable advantages when it comes to migration and integration, but also for the flexibility and modernization of systems.
In terms of content, UAO’s approach is not based upon IEC 61131, but upon IEC 61499, which was first published in 2005. The main features of this standard include a decentralized automation approach that provides for the hardware-independent distribution of program code. To this end, manufacturer-neutral software items that are not tied to a specific project via global variables are used. Two scientists, Prof. Valeriy Vyatkin from Aalto University in Finland and, as of this year, Prof. Alois Zoitl from the Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria, are part of the UAO. Both have made a significant contribution to academic research in the field of IEC 61499 in recent years. The Technical University of Košice in Slovakia, the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil, and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom were also recently added as members from the university sector.
Where Universal Automation is already in use
Various member companies have already taken the UAO approach. Schneider Electric, for example, has implemented the first automation projects based upon IEC 61499 with its UAO-ready EcoStruxure Automation Expert software platform, together with GEA, Wilo and German machine manufacturer Lödige. A demonstrator developed for BASF was also shown at NAMUR’s annual general meeting last year.
Another use case comes from Switzerland: The Chiasso-based startup Gr3n uses the UAO approach to automate its modular systems for the environment-friendly recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Decoupling hardware and software lifecycles can be an advantage for startups that are constantly developing their new systems and need to try out different hardware configurations. Additionally, the manufacturer is no longer the deciding factor when it comes to selecting the right hardware. Instead, Gr3n can decide purely based upon functional aspects, or according to what is currently available.
Manufacturers that have already implemented UAO’s Runtime Execution Engine in selected products include Advantech, ASRock, Belden, ESA, Flexbridge, Kongsberg, MatriBox, Odot, Phoenix Contact, R. Stahl and Schneider Electric.
