© Siemens 2020
The integrating factor
[Link]/S7-1200
Author The vision of a self-controlling, self- operation opens up further potential for
optimizing, self-organizing factory recognizing and using energy intelligent-
Pamela Angelica Pacheco Tellez
has now become a fixed part of the ly. For example by intelligent load man-
Marketing manager
SIMATIC S7-1200
industrial and automation worlds. agement or chaining processes with
Siemens AG, Nuremberg Networked, intelligent systems, complementary energy requirements.
Germany which control processes autonomous- However, modern production facilities
ly, are technically no longer dreams are not yet self-organizing, but they can
of the future. But even in the details, be organized flexibly and controlled by
Industrie 4.0 and the Industrial new, modular line concepts, in which
Internet of Things (IIoT) are opening production stages can be combined in
up new applications for optimizing many different ways.
processes. However, this requires
Connectivity as the
machines and systems to be easily
“key qualification”
integrated into a common data
environment. In all of these cases, production data has
to be provided uniformly and transpar-
One application that requires such
ently: both horizontally – from machine
integration is data-based Condition
to machine – as well as vertically – that
Monitoring, which allows maintenance
is from the production to the MES/ERP
activities to be matched to actual needs
levels and the cloud. The difficulty with
and better scheduled. The networking of
this is often that various interfaces and
data also facilitates new approaches to
protocols have to be “served”. To facili-
process optimization, such as optimizing
tate the integration of automation
of energy efficiency. The
systems into a standardized data and
machines or plant sections have often
information environment, machine and
already been energetically optimized. An
plant constructors and operators need
overall view of all energy data combined
solutions which not only support con-
with intelligent networking of the entire
© Siemens 2020
ventional interfaces and protocols, but
also enable these interfaces to be easily
adapted if required – not only for the
high-end range of complex production
lines or closely timed processes. Espe-
cially small units – such as conveyor
systems, ventilation systems or feeding
devices – form not only a large part of
the machine park, but are also often
crucial for optimizing the process. Energy
consumption, system availability and
clock rates can only be optimized if the
line or plant is considered as a whole.
That is why Siemens significantly ex-
panded the connectivity of the system in
its latest firmware version 4.4 for its
Simatic S7-1200 controllers: The control-
ler now supports not only widely used
automation protocols such as Profinet, With the new firmware 4.4, Siemens has added OPC UA to the many communication options of
but also communication as an OPC UA the Simatic S7-1200.
server, secure communication via secure
emails and encrypted Open User Com- new interfaces – now also toward line subscriptions for monitoring variables.
munication (OUC) with system-support- integration and applications related to The user activates the OPC UA server in
ed SSL/TLS protected communication Industrie 4.0. the communication settings of the TIA
with cloud solutions such as Siemens Portal, confirms the corresponding
MindSphere and higher-level systems on Options for horizontal and vertical
license, and then releases specific vari-
the MES and ERP levels. Not only all communication
ables for data access by means of check-
automation applications in the lower Open User Communication (OUC) is boxes in the editor. Special OPC UA speci-
performance range benefit from simple, especially suitable both for connecting fications – such as PackML and EuroMap
flexible integration into machine and the Simatic S7-1200 to IT systems and for Companion specifications for applica-
even cross-plant networks, but also communicating with other controllers. tions in the packaging or plastics indus-
applications that are typically not or only OUC is based on TCP/IP and enables, for tries – can be loaded easily with the
slightly automated. Especially in these example, production data to be trans- Siemens OPC UA Modeling Editor
industries and fields of application, the ferred via HTTPS or FTPS. Users can also (SiOME) or subsequently loaded into the
modular Simatic S7-1200 has made a connect TLS-based client connections to firmware with the server interface editor
name for itself since its market launch. IT servers or other CPUs and optionally integrated in the TIA Portal engineering
As well as industrial applications in the authenticate servers and clients by tool. In the same way, users can also
fields of simple open and closed loop certificate. Siemens has developed a free easily implement their own specifica-
control and the automation of pumps cloud connection library for connecting tions and changes or enhancements to
and ventilation systems, the controller is the Simatic S7-1200 to cloud solutions, the specification without loading
also especially successful in non-industri- such as Siemens MindSphere. The changed firmware in the controller.
al fields, such as blueberry plantations, connection supports encrypted data
calf rearing and craft confectionery. Thanks to OPC UA, the Simatic S7-1200
transmission from the controller to the
can provide data for a large number of
By improving connectivity, in a way MindSphere platform and other cloud
applications without having to integrate
Siemens is continuing a good tradition. systems via MQTT. A particular asset can
additional components into the automa-
At its market launch, the Simatic easily be configured with the apps
tion. So now a data exchange with
S7-1200 already offered a wide range available in MindSphere and analyzed in
programs such as Matlab can easily be
of modules, including several commu- the visual data evaluation so that poten-
used to simulate processes, investigate
nication modules. Additional modules tial for optimization can then be imple-
process modifications, or optimize
and functions were then added one by mented.
system behavior. At the same time, users
one, such as a Siwarex module for As an OPC UA server, the Simatic S7-1200 can use a proven, functional and versa-
weighing applications and the trace also makes data available to a multitude tile controller with a large number of
function added in 2013. The number of of other devices and applications, which interfaces for sensors and actuators for
available modules has now grown to can access it through OPC UA client the actual plant automation. In this
40. As a result, not only compact functionality. The Simatic S7-1200 sup- respect, the PLC also ensures that com-
solutions can be implemented in the ports client-server communication with munication functions smoothly between
control cabinet. Because of its modular the services for browsing CPU data, read/ production and cloud.
concept, the controller can grow with write for asynchronous data access, and
the specific tasks – and thanks to the
2
© Siemens 2020
Good connectivity is important in ensuring the standardization of data, both between individual machines as well as to higher-level systems and, if
appropriate, to a cloud solution.
Optimal basis for highly flexible and At the same time users benefit from a tion of the environment. Another goal is
integrated applications proven, versatile controller solution, to increase the speed and efficiency of
such as that for bottling craft beer. In this filling, packaging and logistics in order to
Thanks to the new communication
case, Simatic S7-1200 enables up to 21 meet consumers’ changing requirements
options, the Simatic S7-1200 will also
different types of brew to be bottled in a and requests in a wide range of markets.
make its contribution to greater transpar-
single plant. As a result, the brewery’s The company therefore specified Simatic
ency, efficiency and quality in the
customers can enjoy their special beers as an automation component in the
Industrial Internet of Things and shows
at home as if they had just been freshly requirement specification, because data
that its functionality is still absolutely up
drawn. But even this does not complete- standardization is the basis of a digital
to date even after 10 years on the mar-
ly satisfy the master brewer. In the next company and can be more easily
ket. This also includes catering for cyber
few years, the company would like to achieved with a uniform, open system.
security, which Siemens supports not
achieve an almost CO2-free brewery by
only in the implementation in the portfo-
intelligent networking of the entire
lio, but also in the “Charter of Trust Editorial version is published at
operation and the best possible protec-
Initiative”. SPS-Magazin, edition 1-2020.
Published by For the U.S. published by
Siemens AG Siemens Industry Inc.
Digital Industries
Factory Automation
P.O. Box 48 48 100 Technology Drive
90026 Nürnberg Alpharetta, GA 30005
Germany United States
Subject to change without prior notice
Produced in Germany
PDF 0320
© Siemens 2020
