With a universal component construction kit and profound, cross-industry know-how, Beckhoff realises open automation systems ... on the basis of PC-based control technology. Through the consistent bundling of control intelligence in the software and the use of established standard technologies from the worlds of IT and automation, PC-based Control combines all functions such as PLC, measurement technology and motion control in a single system. For the process industry, a comprehensive portfolio of explosion-proof components is available for the realisation of integrated solution concepts for barrier-free communication from zone 0 to the cloud. These include the EtherCAT Terminals of the ELX series with intrinsically safe interfaces, the Control Panels and Panel PCs of the CPX series with high-quality finish, the TwinCAT control software with specific process technology interfaces, hardware and software modules for simple IoT communication, and the application of cloudbased services and system networking. In the case of new plants, the explosion protection can be integrated directly into the overall controller; in the case of existing plants the Beckhoff PC-based controller can be simply extended. With the embedding of process specific interfaces such as NAMUR, HART, FDT/DTM, the standards commonly used in the industry are covered. The full integration of these standards in TwinCAT offers transparency even for users who have previously worked in other software environments. The system-integrated solution from Beckhoff offers an interesting alternative to traditional providers and is suitable for use in numerous industries such as oil and gas production, chemicals and petrochemicals, mining, metalworking, coating processes, timber processingas well as water and energy management. read more